The headline on the site is a bit misleading. It's not "because of viral TikTok challenge", it's because the software and physical ignition interface is, in fact, totally broken:
"The thefts are reportedly easy to pull off because many 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia vehicles lack electronic immobilizers that prevent thieves from simply breaking in and bypassing the ignition. The feature is standard equipment on nearly all vehicles from the same period made by other manufacturers."
"Based on research conducted by Donut Media, we see that stealing a Hyundai or a Kia model produced between 2011 and 2021 is astonishingly simple. Folks at Donut Media started this research with a regular screwdriver and a USB cable. They start by unscrewing the steering column case and exposing the wires and the ignition cylinder. Once they pull out the ignition cylinder, they find a twist lever that fits perfectly into the slot of a USB-A cable. Once they connect their spare USB Type-A to the ignition cylinder male port, they rotate the unit in a clockwise motion to find the car starting without a proper car key. "
This is like saying that movies in the 1980s sparked a rash of car thefts because they showed people hotwiring cars all the time.
"The thefts are reportedly easy to pull off because many 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia vehicles lack electronic immobilizers that prevent thieves from simply breaking in and bypassing the ignition. The feature is standard equipment on nearly all vehicles from the same period made by other manufacturers."
And from: https://www.hotcars.com/kia-boyz-easily-steal-base-kia-hyund...
"Based on research conducted by Donut Media, we see that stealing a Hyundai or a Kia model produced between 2011 and 2021 is astonishingly simple. Folks at Donut Media started this research with a regular screwdriver and a USB cable. They start by unscrewing the steering column case and exposing the wires and the ignition cylinder. Once they pull out the ignition cylinder, they find a twist lever that fits perfectly into the slot of a USB-A cable. Once they connect their spare USB Type-A to the ignition cylinder male port, they rotate the unit in a clockwise motion to find the car starting without a proper car key. "
This is like saying that movies in the 1980s sparked a rash of car thefts because they showed people hotwiring cars all the time.