We live in a timeline where one viral car theft trend is sure to be displaced by the next—and soon. The most dominant carjacking movement of the last few years has undeniably beenthe Kia Boys, whose members target Hyundai and Kia models with weak and easily tricked security systems. Thefts were so frequent and widespread for a while that recurring cable news segments warned the entire country about them. It now seems like another trend could be brewing as bad actors abuse a device called Flipper Zero to break into cars made by more than a dozen manufacturers.
Investigative technology journalism site404 MediaPublished an in-depth report on the development Thursday morning. The story highlights how hackers are abusingthe $199 Flipper Zero—a devicedefinedas "a versatile tool for hardware exploration, firmware flashing, debugging, and fuzzing" - to unlock vehicles without a key fob. We've written about these little white-and-orange devices before, first whenNerds were using them to remotely open Teslas' charging doors., and then again later whenSomeone found out how to use them to turn traffic lights green.
This new use for the Flipper Zero is far more sinister.404 MediaSpoke with a Russia-based hacker named Daniel, who claims he developed the "Unleashed" firmware that enables devices to perform more RFID and USB attacks. "Maybe someone is using it to steal cars or steal from cars," Daniel said, after claiming that the firmware is "in demand" among locksmiths and car shop owners. He sells Flipper Zero patches for either $600 or $1,000, depending on whether customers just want the latest version or updates with further support.
Daniel told404 Mediathat he has sold the firmware to 150 or so customers in the past two years, and he works alongside a hacker who goes by Derrow.
"Kia Boys will be Flipper Boys by 2026," explained Cody Kociemba, a reverse engineer otherwise known as Trikk, to404 Media.
It has such potential to scale because the tech can help thieves infiltrate a large list of vehicles. From Kias and Hyundais to Fords, Hondas, Subarus, VWs, and more, many of today's most popular makes and models are vulnerable. Nearly 200 specific examples are listed in this chart that Daniel uploaded at the beginning ofa recent YouTube video.
Daniel claims it creates a "shadow copy of the original key." From what I can tell, however, it's only able to unlock the car—not start it. Still, that poses obvious security risks, even if someone can't drive away with your ride (yet). "Some cars"like Kiaare not using any protection at all, which makes it easy to open them," Derrow wrote in an email. "For other vendors you must know the source code, then you can open them too.
If you want a more technical breakdown of how the Flipper Zero hacks work, you should check outthe full404 Mediareport. Really, if you're interested at all, you ought to read it. The most important takeaway is that many, many of the world's most popular cars are largely defenseless against these hacks, and it's seemingly a matter of time before thieves can do more than break into them.
Updated August 22, 2025, at 5:25 p.m. ET: Flipper Devices contacted usThe DriveFollowing the publication of this story. In an email, they shared a recently publishedblog postThat says these firmware attacks are based on techniques documented as early as 2006. The response also emphasizes that their devices do not allow potential thieves to start a vehicle. According to Flipper Devices, if your car can be attacked with one of its Zero gadgets, it can also be hacked by a piece of wire.
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