Universal garage door opener?

[nic55]

G'day guys,

Having a chat to the grandparents this morning and they were saying earlier this week they were sitting out the back when they heard the roller door open, then go back down. They opened the door up themselves to find a stranger standing halfway down their driveway who promptly ran off.

The only way to operate this door is via the button on the actual motor unit itself, or via a wireless remote. There are terminals for a wired button to be installed but nothing is connected.

So what's everyone's take? I was thinking someone would have to set a device to 'listen' mode and wait for the original remote to transmit to be able to replicate. I know with my own roller door you need to learn the remote to the receiver, but i think this is more of a 'listening' function on the receiver end rather than a secure connection like you'd get with car keyless entry systems with codes etc.

Has the potential to be a security issue for a lot of people if it's as simple as listening to a transmitting remote.

[Downunder35m]

It depends on the system used on on the eqippment the "hacker" has.
Good remote systems use "code hopping", which means the operating code is change every time the remote is used on the device.
I had to replace the remote systems on the garage every time I moved as either there was no remote anymore or it was so damaged that it no longer worked.
Older systems here use fixed signals on fixed frequencies in the analog mode or by simple digital "morse codes".
Data on such systems is available freely on the net and it does not take too much to order a "universal remote" for the purpose of hacking on Ebay linke or even .
Either way the hacker has to try a lot of different codes or listen to someone using the remote to program his sending unit.

I suggest to first change the code if possible and secondly to check what type of remote system is actually used.
Most of them are pretty basic in design and with a bit of work it is possible to replace an existing remote system with something that works digital and offers a bit more protection.
If in doubt I would simple disconnect to door opener at night or when on holidays to make it impossible to use a hacked remote code - but having a secure system would be better....

[shred]

downunder35m is correct. I had an older B&D brand door opener. The remote control used a very common Motorola chipset to transmit a fixed code. If I had left the remote in the car when it was being serviced, it would have been trivial for someone to write down the switch positions in the back of the remote control, then set their own remote up to open my door. I replaced it with a more modern code hopping door opener, but I still don't fully trust it & switch it off when I'm away.

The original door opener developed a fault where it was possible to slowly open the door by hand when it was closed. I guess there's some sort of locking mechanism to prevent this, but it stopped working. No idea how many years it had been like this before I noticed!

[ecu-man]

It is not difficult to build a brute force remote that will transmit every possible code for the older remotes that used the DIP switches to set the code. You don't actually have to capture the code for older systems.