Homelink - security concern?

[DaveGTS]

Hi everyone - very close to locking in my spec on a GTS ST at the moment. I have a question regarding HomeLink - I would be using it to control electric gates onto a front driveway. I had intended on speccing it but someone pointed out that should a thief gain access to the car then the gate would open automatically for them. Seems like a material concern. Anyone thought through this and got any workaround? If not I will leave it out as an option I think despite the convenience cost to doing so. Thanks!

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[Dr.M.]

Home link is not always functioning correctly. In my case it cannot communicate with a modern Hörmann garage door. This door produces a rolling code. Home link is not able to respond.
Better check that also.

 

[McgR]

A couple of years a Belgian tv show did pranks on celebrities.

a famous guy gave his expensive car to a valet who wasn’t a valet at that restaurant. He had left the remote of his garage in the car.

they entered navigate home in the gps and once home they opened the garage and were in his house. He didn’t set the alarm so they could have taken a lot.

first fault is the valet parking. They waited for the right moment when he left with another car and just stood there with a white polo shirt looking like a valet. Can happen to anyone I presume.

since I have see this I have set my home adres to a street close to my house, never the exact adress.

I have the remote function and it works well for my garage.

so probably the safest would be not to enter your precise home adress in PCM.

and in the Taycan they need to low you have the option. It doesn’t have the 3 buttons on the rear view mirror like other brands. Unless off course it is programmed to a gps position.

 

[whitex]

What is the alternative, keeping a separate gate opener in the car? That would be even less secure unless you always take it with you and never leave it in the car, since at least without a key the Taycan will not enable Homelink. Security is always a balancing game, convenience for security. Would you prefer a gate opener which requires a 20 character password to be entered each time you want to use it? Very secure, very inconvenient. If you use valet service a lot, I can see wanting to take a gate opener with you every single time, and not having it programmed into the car - less convenient but more secure. However, for myself, I have it programmed in my Taycan. I don't use valet services, ever. I also think I am a little more paranoid than most people, especially considering that I work in cybersecurity.

So bottom line, absolutely, Homelink is yet another attack vector, but in the end you have balance security with convenience and usability. Only you can decide what risk is worth what convenience. There are always things you can do to make things more secure and less convenient.

 

[JIP1080]

Interesting question ?. I just set up HomeLink on my GTS ST yesterday and didn't think twice about security concerns. I do have my PCM setup to require a PIN code to log me in, and now I'm wondering if the HomeLink settings are attached to my profile or if they would work in guest mode as well. I need to move the car out of the garage to do some cleaning today, so will test that out and report back (unless someone already knows and posts the answer). If HomeLink is profile specific then having your profile behind a PIN could help.
Also, I have to enter my PIN twice most times I enter the car before it will take. No idea why. Has me thinking about killing off the PIN log-in stuff.

 

[DaveGTS]

Thanks for the replies. Just for context - I dont have a garage. What I have is an electric front gate that is relatively low and someone could easily just jump over. The car is parked on the driveway behind the gate. So my concern is that someone hops over the gate and breaks into the car. If they manage to start it (without the key) does the homelink then activate the electric gates and open them for them to drive away?

The alternative is to have an ugly fob for the gates which I keep on my bunch of keys. In the above example then someone breaks into the car but isnt able to open the gates.

 

[Electron]

Get the Homelink option. You don’t have to pair it with your gate controller if you decide not to use it.

If they can hack into your car to get it started, they probably know how to hack the gate.

If you’re really concerned about security, be sure to keep all of your keys in a faraday cage. It’s possible to open and start a car using a repeater that picks up the key signal inside the house.

 

[JIP1080]

Following up on the HomeLink <-> Profile thing. Yeah, hard "NOPE" on that front. Before I even was able to select my profile or guest mode popped up the HomeLink notice and let me open and close my garage door. Drove away and came back in guest mode and it still popped up the HomeLink notification. So, yeah. That's not an option, sorry ?

 

[kort]

I do not program my exact home address into the nav system, I use a location nearby for my home. my reasoning was that my home is not easily identified if the car is stolen or a crooked valet uses the car while they have control of the car.

 

[W1NGE]

Home link is not always functioning correctly. In my case it cannot communicate with a modern Hörmann garage door. This door produces a rolling code. Home link is not able to respond.
Better check that also.

You need to add the Universal Receiver to your Hormann setup and then configure Homelink to be set for UR. Can't be done otherwise.

I have the same setup and works 100%.

 

[Dr.M.]

You need to add the Universal Receiver to your Hormann setup and then configure Homelink to be set for UR. Can't be done otherwise.

I have the same setup and works 100%.

Where did you get the universal receiver? Ordernumber, link? Let me know.

 

[Perry]

I think the main issue here is treating HomeLink as a security measure. Anything controlled by HomeLink is at best barely half a step more secure than putting up a "Do not enter" sign.

If they can start your car, they can probably get through that gate, whether or not there's a HomeLink button in the PCM.

 

[W1NGE]

Where did you get the universal receiver? Ordernumber, link? Let me know.

Homelink website and then Google it. Basic instructions there too.

Programme one of the channels to the UR remote (sold separately) and then use this channel to train the PCM. Do not use the remote and point at the PCM to train - this is not required. Set Homelink to UR mode and follow the wizard ensuring your UR attached to the Hormann is in learn mode. You don't get long to do this so 2 people would be handy.

I can't find the box with the part number but it's on the Homelink website.

 

[DerekS]

Hi everyone - very close to locking in my spec on a GTS ST at the moment. I have a question regarding HomeLink - I would be using it to control electric gates onto a front driveway. I had intended on speccing it but someone pointed out that should a thief gain access to the car then the gate would open automatically for them. Seems like a material concern. Anyone thought through this and got any workaround? If not I will leave it out as an option I think despite the convenience cost to doing so. Thanks!

Get the feature as it will be desirable for resale.

You don't have to use it if you've got security concerns.

 

[IanG]

I do not program my exact home address into the nav system, I use a location nearby for my home. my reasoning was that my home is not easily identified if the car is stolen or a crooked valet uses the car while they have control of the car.

I was thinking about this and changing my home address in my nav system to a nearby location then realized that my insurance and registration cards with my home address are in my glove compartment - am I missing something?

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