Car theft in Canada: Woman scares thieves

When Maryam Ali saw her car's headlights on in the middle of the night, she knew something was wrong, so she shouted at them and confronted the two car thieves.

Its surveillance video shows the thieves scurrying away — a small victory in the fight against rising theft — and details tactics that security experts believe will help counter the new security standards.

“I saw the lights on my car. Immediately, something clicked. I said, 'It didn't happen to me,'” Ali told CTV News Toronto at his home in Pickering, Ont.

“There was anger. You know, I was really angry,” he said.

Another security video shows the thieves scouting the neighborhood and then settling in Ali's Lexus.

Instead of getting into the driver's seat, thieves target the headlights, drilling or hammering them to gain access to the wiring.

In the video, one light is lit, and only then the thieves get behind the wheel and are ready to drive away – and that's when Ali rushes out.

Mariam Ali was confronted by two car thieves who tried to steal her Lexus in Pickering, Ont.The tactic he busted is known as a CAN injection attack, said Ryan Jaipaul of Durham Autohaus. He said thieves access the wiring in the headlights and use it to send signals to the vehicle's control area network.

Digital control of this central hub allows thieves to control other parts of the vehicle, including unlocking the vehicle and starting the vehicle, thinking that the key is in the vehicle.

“They're putting their software into the vehicle through the CAN wires and then hacking it,” Jaipaul said in a video via CTV News Toronto.

This is one of the few types of attacks that treat the car like a computer. And the tech-savvy way is to defeat the immobilizer that stops the car from keyless ignition.

Until recently, the immobilizer was the main success in stopping car theft. Provincial figures show that car thefts have fallen sharply in Canada since it became mandatory nearly 20 years ago.

But now theft is on the rise again, prompting a national summit in Ottawa last week to tackle the problem.

The government on Wednesday released $28 million in new money to help stop the export of stolen vehicles destined for Africa or the Middle East.

Ont. Two people trying to carjack a car in Pickering were caught on security cameras. One major problem is that it becomes surprisingly easy for thieves using attacks like CAN injection to steal machines.

The American agency is proposing new standards to prevent CAN injection in new vehicles.

George Borlas of UL Standards & Engagement says the agency's new standard, ULC 338: Vehicle Anti-Theft Device and System, was published in July 2023.

“We believe that vehicles with immobilization systems that meet the revised standards will be more difficult to steal,” Borlas told CTV News Toronto.

The standard could make cars tougher, but manufacturers say it could take several years to be adopted.

“It's a long-term situation with queuing up suppliers and things like that, so you're looking at 3-4 years, and the reality is we have a serious auto theft crisis in Canada right now,” David said. Adams, president and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada.

Jaipaul told CTV News Toronto that he believes mass-produced theft deterrents are too predictable to stop thieves.

He demonstrated aftermarket and custom theft deterrents that can provide unexpected deterrents to theft, including a device that turns the car's steering wheel buttons into keypads where you can enter a password to start the car.

“As installers, we can install this device in several places in the car, and thieves will not know where it is,” he said.

According to Ali, his victory against the car thieves who targeted the Lexus didn't last long. A few months later, he said, someone targeted his car in the parking lot and they were successful.

“I got back at four in the afternoon where I thought I had a car and it wasn't there. I think I cried. I was very upset,” he said.

He said he's not sure even his new replacement car is vulnerable to attacks like the one that hijacked the Lexus.

“Car companies need to be held accountable,” he said.