{"id":88644,"date":"2018-04-27T12:10:54","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T19:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=88644"},"modified":"2025-08-13T01:46:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T08:46:22","slug":"hotel-rooms-key-hack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/hotel-rooms-key-hack\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Sesame: Hotel Rooms at Risk of Serious Room Key Hack"},"content":{"rendered":"

No one is a big fan of intruders, let alone being disturbed while you\u2019re on vacation. This is a potential reality for some travelers, as it was just\u00a0discovered this week that hotel guests could possibly have unwanted visitors to their room. This is all due to a design flaw in the software of electronic keys produced by Assa Abloy, formerly VingCard, that has left millions of hotel rooms worldwide<\/a> vulnerable to hackers. The vulnerability\u00a0could allow<\/a>\u00a0criminals to create master keys and open any door in the affected hotels.<\/p>\n

First discovered by security researchers, this \u201cmaster key\u201d hack only needs a single hotel room key in order to exploit the flaw. After obtaining a key, hackers can use an RFID reader to try several key combinations to decode the card. A handful of combinations later (around 20 or so), crooks can determine the code and create a master key for the hotel. From there, the hacker can access any room his or her heart so desires. Specifically, they could potentially access hotel rooms in 166 countries and 40,000 locations.<\/p>\n

Tips to Stay Protected<\/h2>\n

As of now, it is unknown if anyone has actually exploited the threat. But researchers are in collaborating with Assa Abloy to address the problem. So what can you do to help ensure you\u2019re protected from these faulty electronic locks? Start by following these tips:<\/p>\n