Possible to dupe a cardkey system?

I suppose this is really more of a security question. I live in a large condominium that uses a card key system for the rooms. The keys are set to expire after a fixed period...a week or a month, most of the time. I live on the seventh floor and I'm constantly having to renew the stupid card when it stops working on me.

I don't think it's possible, but I've been looking into ways that I might be able to get around using the cards. Maybe jam the lock and just use the deadbolt when I want to come and go? I'm a bit of a hermit, so I don't like dealing with people. I'm already thinking of installing some small security cameras in my room to make sure noone is there when I'm out. Leaving via a rope from the balcony is also not an option

Are there any decent card-reading equipment that I might be able to purchase? I just know they are Bogie key cards.

KG

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Comments

TheShadow

What you are proposing is illegal in some locales. It may or may not be totally illegal in the U.S. in a fine reading of the new homeland security laws. Getting the equipment is not the problem, duplicating the cards without permission could be.

KGhaleon

Not duplicating, but changing the expiration date or finding a workaround. I suppose it's not possible if that information is encoded by a lock management system.

KG

Olajuwon

That definitely sounds illegal. I would advise against it.

keatron

This is very possible by simply reverse engineering the firmware, however as it already pointed out.....you would be breaking the law.

BubbaJ

KGhaleon wrote:

Not duplicating, but changing the expiration date or finding a workaround. I suppose it's not possible if that information is encoded by a lock management system.

That is usually the case. The cards probably only have unique numbers. It is the security system that determines what each number can do and when it expires.

garv221

KGhaleon wrote:

I suppose this is really more of a security question. I live in a large condominium that uses a card key system for the rooms. The keys are set to expire after a fixed period...a week or a month, most of the time. I live on the seventh floor and I'm constantly having to renew the stupid card when it stops working on me.

I don't think it's possible, but I've been looking into ways that I might be able to get around using the cards. Maybe jam the lock and just use the deadbolt when I want to come and go? I'm a bit of a hermit, so I don't like dealing with people. I'm already thinking of installing some small security cameras in my room to make sure noone is there when I'm out. Leaving via a rope from the balcony is also not an option

Are there any decent card-reading equipment that I might be able to purchase? I just know they are Bogie key cards.

KG

I would suggest talking to the managment company and explaining your situation that you do not mistreat your card by bending or scratching the magstripe and that you live here andf would like exp. date extended. They type in the date it expires and no way should set it for less than your term or if you are a permanet resident they should set it for a year.

The issue you are having could be a couple of things. First the card being issued to you is a low coercivity card of 300 or less. These cards are rated for hotels and have a low life expectancy- 1 month. With you living in the complex for more than a month you should be issused a high coercivity card of 650 or more. These cards are rated to take some abuse and should last 9-12 months easily. The next coercivity rating is around 2500 and thats for military and credit cards.

Second is the complex has the high coercivity cards but the encoder is a low level encoder and is only endocing the high level cards at 300, which defeats the purpose of buying high level cards. Take a look at your card, does it have a brown stripe or black? Brown, 9 out of 10 times is a sign of low coercivity.

Third is your lock has problems and needs a new board, battery or reprogrammed. I find this unlikely for the fact that your card works after being re-encoded at the office.

As far as hacking into the lock, forget about it. The system is setup like this: One it is networked and managment controls the locks from the office computer and can flip the dead lock whenever and program locks whenever. Two, they have a program that has all rooms listed by apt.#'s and copy those numbers onto a portable device that has an electronic card attached to it and they insert it into your lock and copy the config onto the lock. Your card gets encoded with the current unique config that matches the config just copied to your lock. There is no hacking it.

garv221

Hey- I just loked up your keys and this is what I found

"Security is the key word in the hospitality business today. Bogie Hardware, Inc. supplies magnetic stripe access cards for hospitality properties using most major electronic lock systems. High-quality, offset printed and film over laminated cards with extra-wide low coercivity magnetic stripes assure 100% reliability and easy encoding. "

Your cards are low core and SUCK. They cost a whole .9 ~.11 cents per card. I would ask what managments encoder is rated at. Chances are they low balled the encoder too so buying a high core card won't help. If you have any questions let me know. I know this stuff this inside and out, retailers, hardware..ect..

http://www.bogiehardware.com/keycards.html

Danman32

I certainly wouldn't want to live there. I'll handle my own security, thank you. I am not trusting a central database that can unlock my doors. for one, I don't know who might get access to the system legitimately but abuse the privilege. Then there's the illegitimate access, then the hack from outside.

KGhaleon

Yeah, they replaced the bogie cards with Onity cards. They passed a new law allowing maids to enter rooms when your gone to take any garbage. I really hate this place, but it's all I can afford with my lowly tech job.

It would be nice if I could take control of my own security.

KG

TechJunky

I work with card systems like this on a regular basis. Yes, it is very easy to change the values on the card. However, I am going to advise against it due to legality reasons. If you are really still wanting to do this, search google. I am unfortunantly unable to provide the information you want due to legal actions that could be taken against myself. Google is your friend.

garv221

Put on some Cat boots and kick the door in. lol