Yup, this looks like a bit of software you run on a PC, then using a ross-tech cable in "dumb" mode, it talks to the radio and gets or resets the code.
The GitHub link above is my project.
It only works with the custom hardware that is described in the GitHub repository. Instead of using a "dumb" cable, I built own my interface from scratch using a microcontroller. This allowed me to implement automatic baud rate detection and have guaranteed timing for more reliable communications. An interesting aspect of my interface is that in addition to VW's KWP1281 protocol, it speaks a proprietary manufacturing protocol used by TechniSat radios. This protocol is unlike any VW protocol. I discovered and reverse engineered it by disassembling radio firmware binaries.
For the radios it supports, my project is able to retrieve the SAFE code by simply plugging into the back of the radio. However, please note that VW has many radios that look similar but are completely different inside. Each one requires a nontrivial reverse engineering effort. My project only works with the specific radios listed.
Building my project currently requires electronics and microcontroller experience. A couple of people with these skills have written to me to say they have used my project successfully. This is a hobby project and fun technical challenge for me. As time permits, perhaps I can make it accessible to a wider audience. I always update the GitHub repository linked above for those who want to follow my progress.
