Recent news from the hacking world reveals a new device that can solve the combination of Master Locks in under five minutes. And if that's not fast enough for a clean getaway, there's a speedier technique that will crack the code in under thirty seconds.
The aptly named Combo Breaker is the latest brainchild from hacker, Samy Kamkar. Kamkar noticed that subtle manipulation of the dial on certain Master Locks revealed a slight hitch in the mechanism when the combination numbers where engaged. So Kamkar set out to build a device that would test the numbers by rotating the dial, note the hitches in the lock, and then spring the lock when all three numbers were engaged.
The machine uses two different motors, an Arduino Nano microcontroller to run the bespoke software and 3D printed parts to hold the lock in place while the machine works its magic. The total cost for parts is around $100 and Kamkar guarantees his device will work; at least on the cheaper version of Master Locks.
On its own, the machine can work through the combination in about five minutes. However, by identifying the first number by hand and then letting the machine take over, the process can be shortened to about thirty seconds.
Kamkar is hardly new to the hacking world. Back in 2005, when Kamkar was just a teen, he infected the community Web site, MySpace with a worm that delivered a payload anytime his profile page was viewed. The worm generated a friends request and implanted the phrase, "samy is my hero," at the bottom of the viewer's profile. Over a million users had run the payload within the first 24 hours, garnering him an equal number of friends requests and later on, a criminal indictment.
Master Locks won't have to sell off their stock just yet. In its present form, the Combo Breaker isn't exactly portable. The lock must be placed inside the machine to work, so its current application is fairly limited.
So if breaking into Master Locks is on your agenda, you can build the device by following Kamkar's instructions, which he graciously provides through a video and on his website.
Or you can shun the electronics, invest in a pair of commercial bolt cutters, and do the job yourself.
