Amazon Choice Centurion Padlock Opens in Seconds Without Picking

[844] No Picking Required: Amazon’s Defective Choice — LockPickingLawyer

LockPickingLawyer

The Centurion USA round body padlock fails basic security standards because an unshielded keyway allows tools to bypass the cylinder and release the locking mechanism directly.

AI-assisted summary of [844] No Picking Required: Amazon’s Defective Choice — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published:

Key ideas

  • Searching the singular query 'high-security padlock' on Amazon recommended the Centurion USA round body padlock, differing from the plural search result covered in video 842. (0:00)
  • The Centurion USA round body padlock contains an unshielded rear keyway vulnerability that allows the locking mechanism to be bypassed in about two seconds without picking the core. (0:23)
  • Disassembly reveals that an unobstructed path straight through the keyway directly exposes the rear locking actuator, an elementary design flaw largely eliminated by reputable manufacturers over two decades ago. (1:11)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube on March 1, 2019, by LockPickingLawyer, this video serves as a follow-up to a previous entry referenced in the description (video #842). The presentation investigates the Centurion USA round body padlock, an item highlighted by the platform as 'Amazon’s Choice' when searching for a singular 'high-security padlock.'

## TL;DR Following viewer suggestions regarding Amazon search terms, LockPickingLawyer evaluates the Centurion USA round body padlock across two identical units. Instead of picking the core, he demonstrates an elementary rear bypass flaw, opening both locks in approximately two seconds each by slipping a tool straight through the keyway to trigger the locking mechanism. He then disassembles the padlock using an internal Phillips screw to expose the open cavity behind the plug, showing how the lack of shielding lets an attacker rotate the actuator directly without turning the pin tumbler core. Concluding that reputable manufacturers eliminated this vulnerability decades ago, he strongly advises against purchasing the lock.

## Atmosphere & style The video carries a calm, surgical, and devastatingly dry tone, contrasting the padlock's marketed 'high-security' status with an immediate, effortless two-second defeat. LockPickingLawyer's measured cadence and sharp phrasing—characterizing the design as 'Exhibit A' for lock designer malpractice—lend the critique an authoritative, no-nonsense bite. The transition from rapid physical exploitation to neat, mechanical disassembly feels methodically clinical and quietly damning.

## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=0s) Searching the singular query 'high-security padlock' on Amazon recommended the Centurion USA round body padlock, differing from the plural search result covered in video 842. - [00:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=23s) The Centurion USA round body padlock contains an unshielded rear keyway vulnerability that allows the locking mechanism to be bypassed in about two seconds without picking the core. - [01:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=71s) Disassembly reveals that an unobstructed path straight through the keyway directly exposes the rear locking actuator, an elementary design flaw largely eliminated by reputable manufacturers over two decades ago.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=0s) Searching for 'high-security padlock' in the singular on Amazon yielded the Centurion USA round body padlock as 'Amazon's Choice'. - [00:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=18s) LockPickingLawyer characterizes the lock's design flaws as an example of what would be 'lock designer malpractice'. - [00:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=23s) The padlock suffers from a critical bypass vulnerability that reputable lock makers solved more than twenty years ago. - [00:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=33s) A bypass tool inserted straight through the keyhole can engage the rear locking mechanism directly, bypassing the pin tumbler core entirely. - [00:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=43s) The bypass allows the padlock shackle to open in roughly two seconds without picking. - [00:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=53s) The exploit was duplicated immediately on a second identical Centurion USA padlock with the same ease. - [01:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=71s) The cylinder assembly is secured inside the padlock body with a Phillips-head screw located inside the shackle hole. - [01:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=92s) Disassembly confirms the rear of the keyway lacks any shielding to prevent tools from reaching the tailpiece and actuator. - [01:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=115s) Because the vulnerability bypasses the pins and lock rotation entirely, LockPickingLawyer advises consumers against choosing this padlock for security.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=0s) Amazon’s Choice for "High-Security Padlock" and the Bypass Flaw

LockPickingLawyer opens by recalling video number 842, where he reviewed the product featured as "Amazon's Choice" for the search query "high-security padlocks" in the plural form. Following that upload, viewers pointed out in the comments that searching for the singular phrase "high-security padlock" resulted in an entirely different recommendation: the Centurion USA round body padlock. LockPickingLawyer promptly ordered one for testing, only to realize he already had one in his inventory, leaving him with two identical locks on his bench to examine. He pulls no punches regarding the product's design, declaring that “if there was such a thing as lock designer malpractice, these locks would be Exhibit A.”

According to LockPickingLawyer, the padlock suffers from a glaring bypass vulnerability that most reputable lock manufacturers eliminated more than twenty years ago. Rather than picking the pin tumbler core, an attacker can insert a thin turning bypass tool straight through the keyhole into the rear locking mechanism. By reaching all the way past the core and giving the tool a simple turn, the locking dogs release and the shackle pops open instantly. LockPickingLawyer demonstrates the vulnerability in real time on the first padlock, opening it in roughly two seconds with zero picking required, before repeating the exact same swift bypass on the second unit with identical ease.

```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Padlock Bypass Exploit Flow accDescr: Flow diagram showing how the bypass tool reaches past the lock core to open the shackle directly.

subgraph BypassAction["Bypass Procedure"] A["Insert bypass tool<br/>through keyhole"] --> B["Pass completely<br/>through core"] B --> C["Engage rear<br/>locking mechanism"] end

subgraph LockResponse["Mechanism Outcome"] C --> D["Rotate actuator<br/>(Core does not turn)"] D --> E["Shackle pops open"] end ```

[01:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=71s) Core Disassembly and Exploit Breakdown

To explain the mechanics behind the vulnerability, LockPickingLawyer disassembles one of the locks by unscrewing a Phillips-head screw located deep inside the open shackle hole. Once the screw is removed, he slides out the cylinder assembly to reveal how the core interfaces with the locking actuator. Examining the back of the cylinder, he points out the tailpiece responsible for rotating the internal locking mechanism.

Under normal operation, the correct key must align the pins to allow the plug to rotate the tailpiece. However, because the rear of the keyway is completely open and unobstructed, an attacker does not need the core to rotate at all. The bypass tool slips cleanly through the keyway, past the pin stacks, and grabs the locking mechanism directly from behind the plug. He points out that this flaw is elementary in modern locksmithing, concluding that “this exploit is well known to security professionals and most locks have design features that prevent it, but not Amazon’s choice for a high-security padlock, and because of this, it should not be your choice for a high-security padlock.”

- **Model tested:** Centurion USA round body padlock (Amazon's Choice recommendation for "high-security padlock"). - **Fastener:** Internal Phillips screw positioned inside the shackle hole. - **Vulnerability type:** Rear-of-core bypass without core rotation, due to an unshielded tailpiece/actuator interface.

## Notable quotes > [01:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y&t=71s) this exploit is well known to security professionals and most locks have design features that prevent it, but not Amazon’s choice for a high-security padlock, and because of this, it should not be your choice for a high-security padlock. — LockPickingLawyer

## Mentioned LockPickingLawyer, Amazon, Amazon's Choice, Centurion USA round body padlock

## Video description See video #842: https://youtu.be/Gflpf0DrCgw

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1_P5oqf6Y)

中文简报

亚马逊精选Centurion挂锁数秒内被免撬开启 Centurion USA圆体挂锁未达基础安全标准，因其无防护钥匙孔允许工具绕过锁芯并直接释放锁闭机构。 根据观众对亚马逊搜索词的建议，LockPickingLawyer对两把完全相同的Centurion USA圆体挂锁进行了测评。他并未采用开锁技术撬动锁芯，而是展示了一个基础的后部旁路缺陷，通过将工具直接从钥匙孔滑入以触发锁闭机构，仅用约两秒钟就分别打开了两把锁。随后，他利用内部的一颗十字螺丝将挂锁拆解，露出了锁芯后方的开放空腔，揭示了防护设计的缺失如何让攻击者无需转动弹子锁芯即可直接旋转促动器。他指出知名制造商早在数十年前就已消除了此类漏洞，并强烈建议不要购买该锁。 在亚马逊上搜索单数词条“high-security padlock”（高安全性挂锁）时，系统推荐了Centurion USA圆体挂锁，这与第842期视频中涉及的复数搜索结果不同。 (0:00) Centurion USA圆体挂锁存在钥匙孔后部未加防护的漏洞，无需撬动锁芯即可在约两秒内绕过锁闭机构开锁。 (0:23) 拆解表明，穿过钥匙孔的一条通畅路径直接暴露了后部锁闭促动器，这种低级设计缺陷早在二十多年前就已被知名制造商基本淘汰。 (1:11)

Source quotes

[1:11] LockPickingLawyer: this exploit is well known to security professionals and most locks have design features that prevent it, but not Amazon’s choice for a high-security padlock, and because of this, it should not be your choice for a high-security padlock.

Original transcript

[0:00] this is the lock-picking lawyer and a [0:02] few days ago in video number 842 I [0:05] showed you this lock which was Amazon's [0:07] choice if one searched for high-security [0:09] padlocks note I said padlocks plural [0:13] well a few commenters went on Amazon and [0:16] discovered that this lock was Amazon's [0:18] choice if one searched for high-security [0:20] padlock singular it's the century on us [0:24] a round body padlock so I bought one for [0:27] testing before I remembered that I [0:29] already had one so we actually have two [0:31] of these to play with today and folks if [0:34] there was such a thing as lock designer [0:36] malpractice these locks would be Exhibit [0:39] A it's because they have a design flaw [0:41] that in most lock companies fixed over [0:44] twenty years ago [0:45] we can use a tool like this to reach [0:47] right through the keyhole into the [0:49] locking mechanism and by turning this [0:52] tool the lock pops open let me show you [0:55] exactly how that works going to go [0:58] through the keyhole all the way back to [1:00] the locking mechanism and once it's [1:02] there simply turn the tool and the lock [1:05] pops open let's do this one as well let [1:11] me take one of these apart so you can [1:12] see exactly how this exploit works to [1:16] open this up we have a Philips screw [1:18] down the shackle hole so let's take that [1:20] out [1:32] okay if we look at this core we can see [1:36] the tail piece on the back which rotates [1:38] the locking mechanism using this tool we [1:41] can reach all the way through the core [1:43] and rotate our tool which will in turn [1:46] rotate the locking mechanism without the [1:49] core ever turning this exploit is well [1:52] known to security professionals and most [1:55] locks have design features that prevent [1:57] it but not Amazon's choice for a [1:59] high-security padlock and because of [2:02] this it should not be your choice for a [2:04] high-security padlock in any case that's [2:07] all I have for you today if you do have [2:09] any questions or comments about this [2:11] please put them below if you like this [2:13] video and would like to see more like it [2:15] please subscribe and as always have a [2:18] nice day thank you