Digital Images A Lock For Copying Keys

Software Can Make Accurate Copies Of Traditional House Keys From Basic, Distant Images

(CNET)  Beware of flashing your keys in public.

Computer scientists at the University of California at San Diego have developed software that can make a duplicate of a key from just a distant photo of it using technology available to almost anyone.

Referred to as Sneakey, the system is capable of "teleduplication -- extracting a key's complete and precise bitting code at a distance via optical decoding and then cutting precise duplicates," according to Sneakey's Web site.

Part of the project's mission is to make people realize that traditional keys are not really as safe as they might think. Relatively modest technology is now capable of the imaging and computer vision algorithms necessary to duplicate an image precisely, according to the group.

To illustrate the point, they photographed a set of keys they casually placed on the table at a cafe from about 195 feet away using a telephoto lens. From that image (shown), they were able to extract enough data to duplicate the keys on the ring perfectly.

It gets worse. The group's software was also capable of extracting enough visual data to make a duplicate key from an image taken by a cell phone camera.

Not only that, but the keys photographed do not even have to be in profile. Sneakey's software can determine a key's bitting code -- its series of unique cuts -- from nearly any angle.

Stefan Savage, the computer science professor at UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering who led the project, presented his group's work Thursday at the ACM Conference on Communications and Computer Security in Alexandria, Va.

"There are experts who have been able to copy keys by hand from high-resolution photographs for some time. However, we argue that the threat has turned a corner -- cheap image sensors have made digital cameras pervasive and basic computer vision techniques can automatically extract a key's information without requiring any expertise," Savage said in a statement.

While the group is not planning to publicly release the code, it inferred in the project statement that anyone with a basic competence in MatLab, a technical computing language and environment from MathWorks, would be able to duplicate its efforts.

[rushlimpdrug]

Oh Great!
Now I''ll have to worry about computer scientists at the University of California at San Diego breaking into my home.

One more group of gang thugs to worry about.

Now where did I put that remote?

[amazedd]

Or to breakout

[luvcomments]

Then, again, if they really want to get in they can always simply break a window.

[fcrjr]

"...it inferred in the project statement..." Hey Candace, you ever take English grammar? The word is implied.

[glenaw-2009]

emilymhanson,

You are correct.

Break ins are usually done by forced entry as well. Usually through windows or by kicking the door in.

If anyone wants to get around them doing this with the program get a high security lock. Medeco not only uses depth''s in the cuts of thier keys but they use angles of the cuts as well. So with thier system, depth, fore or aft of center of cut, and angle = left, center or right. Now lets see how thier program works on that! Not to mention the keys are restricted. Keys are only available authorized dealers.

But again the lock is not the weakest point and break-ins usually are at the weakest point of the house.

[glenaw-2009]

Not completely convinced. As a locksmith I can look through binocular''s and figure out what the cuts are from the key. Problem; accuracy. A lock in general will only tolerate 4-5 thousands of a inch diference in the cut before it will not work. Most lock cuts are 15-20 thousands of a inch in differance from one cut to the next and that is when the original is accurate. It could be off as much as 3 thousands of a inch and still work. If a cut was right in the middle between a 1 and 2 which would the program pick? How accurate can a picture be as well?

the software is already available on the web

[smurfcrusher]

you can do the same with a telescope and trigonometry.

[emilymhanson]

Isn''t there an old saying about locks only stopping honest people?

If someone really really wants to get in and has the skills to, they can.

[darkfyreaol]

This is nothing new.