Mul-T-Lock: Design & Security v2

[datagram]

Hello everyone,

A massively updated version of "Mul-T-Lock: Design and Security" is available on LockpickingForensics.com. From the site:

This paper discusses Mul-T-Lock telescoping pin-tumbler designs throughout the company's nearly 40 year history. This includes the Classic, Interactive, CLIQ, 3-in-1, MT5, and MT5+. In addition, attack techniques against Mul-T-Lock systems are evaluated. There are several appendices that include keying and coding information for Mul-T-Lock locks, as well as a patent reference for (almost) all Mul-T-Lock models and components.

You can grab it from the articles page, or via the direct pdf link.

I can (attempt to) answer any questions you might have here or via some other form of contact (contact details are available in the paper or on the website).

A big thanks to the many LP101 members that helped peer review the paper!

Thanks,
dg

[femurat]

Thank you, I was waiting for it. I foresee a reading weekend

[GWiens2001]

Tee hee hee! Looking forward to this! Just got an older MTL without a key, and have ordered a new one with keys. Even if the actual picking of this lock is currently beyond my ability, I am fascinated by locks and how they work and are assembled. I'd love to see more on the production of high security locks.

[Squelchtone]

Hi datagram,

I noticed you did not mention the Mul-t-Lock Garrison model, could you speak to that? I don't know the models well and always wanted to know the difference between Garrison, 7x7, Classic, etc.

Thank you, and nice paper!

Squelchtone

[datagram]

Garrisson, 7x7, and Integrator aren't telescoping, so they're not in the paper. A future version might include them...

dg

[MacGyver101]

Absolutely fabulous extension to an already wonderful document! Thank you for updating it and sharing: that was clearly a huge effort, and a fabulous resource for everyone with an interest in locks.

Just one point...

The first [MT5+] vulnerability is a sidebar torsioning technique discovered independently by European and American researchers.

Ahem... (cough)... some of us are Canadian. (Assuming you meant this post?)

[mhole]

Squelch, Garrison & 7x7 are identical, 7 pin dimple cylinders. They have no PIP or other fancy pants features, and no key duplication restrictions. Intergrator is identical, albeit with an unusual oval pin in the 3rd position. This pin confers no advantages in pick resistance, but does require a special blank with an oval depression in it (the cut for this pin is always precut on Integrator blanks) and is a technical innovation, sufficient to grant a patent, and as such legally enforceable key protection.

Pickwise, they're all the same, in that a cylinder with at least 3 security pins will usually be easy-peasy, and (ironically) a cylinder with fewer anti-pick pins is massively more difficult.

HTH.

[yono]

Thanks DATAGRAM, this is one precious information, i doubt if i ever encounter that kind of lock here. i wish i will. regards.

[ARF-GEF]

Hey squelchtone!

The classic has 5 telesoping pin s which means for every pin there is and internal one, much like a normal pin, and a hollow second pin surrounding the first one like a hollow cylinder. Which means instead of 5 "normal pins" you have 5 double pins, in effect 10 pins. I have 2 small pictures and will try to upload them.

[ARF-GEF]

I could not quite figure out how to post pictures into the reply, so I looked up some links leading to the pics for y'all:
This first one is s msall picture of the actual lock mechanism with the key (Classic mulTlock):
http://www.google.hu/imgres?imgurl=http ... Bg&dur=269

This second one is the key alone:

http://www.google.hu/imgres?imgurl=http ... BQ&dur=139

I hope I could make it somewhat clearer.