Security researchers have uncovered critical vulnerabilities in the Securam ProLogic electronic safe locks, which are used in safes manufactured by at least eight major brands. These safes are commonly employed to secure firearms, cash, and other valuables.
The researchers discovered two primary exploits that effectively serve as backdoors, allowing unauthorized parties to open these high-security safes in mere seconds.
One technique involves exploiting a hidden backdoor originally designed for authorized locksmith access. This backdoor can be triggered by entering a specific code sequence, bypassing the primary lock codes without leaving traces and without specialized tools.
The other method targets the safe’s Bluetooth interface and firmware to capture and replay signals, enabling remote unlocking with basic smartphone apps. Neither requires physical tampering or sophisticated hacking equipment, making the vulnerabilities particularly alarming.
The discovery arose after two researchers, James Rowley and Mark Omo, investigated how law enforcement could access a suspect's Liberty Safe so easily during the Capitol insurrection probe. They found that this locksmith backdoor was not limited to Liberty Safe but affected many brands using Securam ProLogic locks.
Presentation of these exploits at the Defcon hacking conference raised widespread industry concern about the reliability of these electronic locking systems.
The manufacturer, Securam, initially responded with legal threats to the researchers and claimed the vulnerabilities were exaggerated. They have pledged to fix the issue in future lock models but do not plan to update currently deployed units, leaving thousands of safes at risk.
Experts recommend disabling Bluetooth features, monitoring unauthorized access, and considering alternative locking mechanisms as interim safety measures.
This case underscores a broader challenge in physical security: the trade-off between advanced digital features and the risk they introduce. The exploitable backdoors in supposedly high-security safes reveal urgent needs for better security auditing, stricter encryption, and transparent vulnerability disclosures in IoT-enabled physical security devices.
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