Cheap 'Access Control' System - Defeated with a screwdriver!

In this video I take a look at a extremely cheap "access control" system from Amazon and demonstrate the hardware and show how the flawed architecture of the system means that it can be defeated with nothing more than a screwdriver and a paperclip!

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Sections:
00:00 - Introduction
01:34 - Unboxing
06:09 - Power Supply Demonstration
13:29 - Power Supply Cable Replacement
23:10 - Keypad Tour
25:19 - Maglock Tour
27:03 - System Demonstration
28:54 - Defeating the System
32:51 - Conclusion

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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[StuFrankish]

I legitimately thought this was a LockPickingLawer video when I clicked on the thumbnail. The change in voice surprised me a bit XD

[AIC]

The Lock Picking Lawyer *joins the chat*

[Marineio]

Personally i'd have put a ring terminal onto the earth and affixed it to the case. If the solder joint fails on the earth wire, and a fault causes the case to become live, then your circuit protective device may not trip.

[er-uk]

I’ve been watching your videos for a while now. People often comment about you speaking too quickly. I think this video is the only time where I’d agree

[markh]

This is probably an adequate replacement for a cheap mechanical code lock in an indoor environment where there are always staff around when the building is open. It would stop members of the public wandering into areas they should not be in by accident but not much more.


Even though the RFID tags are easy to clone it is still less likely to happen than somebody working out the code on the mechanical lock, either by observing staff typing it or looking at which keys have the most wear (the cheap ones are combination, rather than permutation based so the order doesn't matter).

[elvinhaak]

Nice to see the system and how it works inside.

About the defeating it - well, yes. Obviously you have to build this case into something rigid around it at an installed site. Then there is no access to the screw or the case and cables.
Of course if you have a building in which the mains-power is accessible from outside (like for the fire-fighters) then you don't even need a screwdriver to defeat this system: just open the electrical-door, pull the fuse, open the door, put the fuse back in and no-one knows what made the short power-failure.
Should at least come with a battery that keeps the lock working for a couple of minutes or half an hour or something like that.

[MarcusTechKat]

So, me and my colleague worked in a school as IT techs and we introduced something like this, cheap system, to our server room. After a while, my colleague found a way to bypass it with a paperclip. He hid it ontop of the doorframe. And told me to only use it if my pass didn't work. Later on, he constructs a RJ45 faceplate that is hardwired into the bypass. and put it inside the server room. He said "If you ever get locked in, short a RJ45 head in these specific pins, and plug it into the faceplate. The door will open." I would use the RJ45 way all the time as my way of exiting to look badass, haha.

[technocxt]

It’s so great to catch one of your videos early! You’re keeping quarantine interesting for so many people :) [Hello from Australia by the way 👋]

[Alan_UK]

Interesting. I bought the same lock but bought a 12v/5v laptop "brick" PSU. I should have done the same as you and bought the whole kit, especially as I now know the lock PSU can take a GPIO input. I'm installing this lock with a Rasp Pi 4 running Domoticz in a Docker container. Pi operates a solid state relay which was about £17 for a module of 4 relays. The Pi connects to a Texecom panel (your video review on this panel was really helpful)

[lsher]

I've had an idea now for a few years that I would love to have your input on Cameron, and seeing you've now delved into the world of access control (and the current hightened hygiene requirements 😉) it would be a perfect time to bounce this idea off you 😁

[ABDULLAHAIi]

I was searching for home access control and end watching the whole video and enjoying it, keep it up

[JamiePhonic]

I suppose the easiest way to make this a bit more secure would be to replace the screw on the bottom with a security torx (or similar) screw instead of just a standard Phillips one, but that wouldn't deter someone determined to get in becasue they could just come back with a security torx driver to remove it, or as you said, use a hammer or a rock if they dont care about it being noticed.


The higher end systems are usually in 2 parts, where the "keypad" is its own device, and the mag lock/release button are a seperate device, usually connected to a network (and in the case of the keypad/reader, usually powered by POE), where the 2 seperate devices are then linked in some kind of central software controller where you can configure what controller is linked to what mag lock to form a "door"


Also, Hi from Paisley!

[RossTheGenMan]

I would maybe use this during the day to make it easier for employees to get in faster and simpler then keys and generally deter the public but then when the office is closed at night lock the door with something like a deadbolt or other heavy lock in addition to this.

[richieh]

Great video Cameron! Really well presented and interesting to watch, especially during this lockdown!

[SpringDivers]

If I designed it, I would have transmitted the door code after encoding a super-dooper hash over wire (or wireless) to an internal decoder to unlock the lock. Protect the smarts. Thanks for the video.

[lcarter]

A trip switch or magnet on the frame that opens an external latch relay would trip out the door magnet. But not made to keep out the determined

[benjaminsmith]

The 'door exit' button appears to use the same "screwless" design and hole pattern as the MK Essentials in John Ward's recent video.

[robqg]

I'm surprised that it's just the magnet keeping the door shut - I would have presumed that the magnet would be used to hold bolts in position (or hold them out the way), so the strength of the lock would be the strength of the bolts, not the strength of the magnetic field. Also doing it that way would allow for a key/lever based override, so that it could fail to locked when power had failed. The fix for the keypad would be to have just the keypad on the outside with the logic board on the inside - it may even be possible to mod this module, depending on how the keypad is connected to the logic board.

[solidus]

The mains would be perfectly fine if the psu was fitted inside an electrical enclosure which is probably what it's intended for I'm aware given the price of the kit it probably won't be an electrician installing it just saying. also if it were in an enclosure you could do your earth connection to the outside of the case through the screw on the case using a crimp on lug

[megamegamind]

True, but equally easy to protect the access to the screw. But excellent initiative to highlight the potential issue 👍