Hackers Exploit Security Flaw in Hotel Locks Using High-Tech Device

A trio of security researchers—or hackers, if you prefer the popular term for folks who spend their time exposing vulnerabilities in technology—have come up with a tool straight out of a James Bond movie that could be used to break into millions of hotel rooms. Disguised as a dry erase marker, the device can be inserted into programming ports on the bottom of Onity locks, a popular brand of keycard readers in use at hotels worldwide. The tool accesses the lock’s memory and unlocks the door. The security flaw was first demonstrated at a conference in July, but it required attaching a conspicuous-looking circuit board and battery pack. Onity acknowledged the vulnerability in August. A page on the company’s website says improvements are available and offers phone numbers for its customers to call. forbes.com