14 DAY TRIAL // Three lockpicking experts have published designs for the master key that can open locks made by Safe Skies, one of the two TSA-approved lock makers.
If you're not living in the US, you should be aware of some air travel rules regarding luggage. Travelers going through US airports are encouraged to lock their luggage with locks made by two companies, Safe Skies and Travel Sentry.
The reason is that if TSA (Transportation Security Administration) agents find something suspicious about your bag, or following scans, they could use one of their many master keys to unlock the luggage and then lock it again afterward.
First set of TSA master keys leaked in 2015
In the summer of 2015, the Washington Post ran a story on the TSA and published high-quality photos of the seven master keys that can unlock Travel Sentry locks.
Security experts didn't waste too much time, and after a few days, they created high-quality copies of the master keys by reproducing them after the Post's photos using CAD software and 3D printers.
One year later, three lock security experts, DarkSim905, Nite 0wl, and Johnny Xmas, created the master key that can unlock Safe Skies luggage, but without the benefit of having a picture to work with.
The three used good ol' reverse engineering tricks to create the master keys using trial and error. They presented their findings at this year's HOPE conference in New York, USA. A video of their HOPE presentation is available online.
There's a reason why the researchers did what they did
The three wanted to draw the media's attention that there is absolutely no difference between the key escrow system the TSA is managing right now and the FBiOS scandal during which the FBI wanted a master key for Apple's iPhone encryption system.
"We're not trying to make so that you can lick people's travel brush or steal their panties," Johnny Xmas said. "We're trying to show the general public what the problem is with trusting a third party with master keys, including encryption keys."
Despite having designs for all of its master keys leak online, in statements to the press, the TSA didn't seem too bothered by the incidents. TSA spokespersons said that a crook having copies of master keys poses no threat to aviation safety, which is the TSA's main role, and not to guard luggage.