https://www.cyberscoop.com/simjacker-mobile-phone-vulnerability/
By Jeff Stone
CYBERSCOOP
September 12, 2019
A vulnerability in smartphone technology has made it possible for
outsiders to conduct targeted surveillance against victims for the past
two years, according to new security findings.
Researchers from AdaptiveMobile Security said Thursday they found an
SMS-based hacking technique that actively is being exploited by a spyware
vendor to track individual phone users. The company did not disclose who
is behind the surveillance or the identities of the victims.
Researchers warned that the attack, dubbed “Simjacker,” has ramifications
for more than 1 billion mobile phones worldwide. By relying on malicious
text messages, hackers infect target phones to retrieve location
information and other data. The attack leverages SIM cards, a circuit that
stores customers’ international mobile subscriber information in a way
that isn’t restricted to a single phone platform.
“This is potentially the most sophisticated attack ever seen over core
mobile networks,” Cathal Mc Daid, AdaptiveMobile Security’s chief
technology officer, said in a statement. “It’s a major wake-up call that
shows hostile actors are investing heavily in increasingly complex and
creative ways to undermine network security. This compromises the security
and trust of customers, mobile operators and impacts the national security
of entire countries.”
[...]
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