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Showing posts with label Phone hacking. Show all posts
Smartphone Security
Cyber Attacks Juice Jacking Phone hacking Scamming Smartphone Security

Stay Safe When Charging Phone in Public: Scammers Steal Money Using USB Ports via "Juice Jacking"

Juice Jacking

Staying connected is more important than ever in today's fast-paced society. Our smartphones and other devices keep us connected with friends, family, and work, but their battery life limits their utility. That's why public charging stations, popular in airports, hotels, cafes, and other public places, maybe a lifesaver when our devices run out of power.

But did you realize that something as basic as charging your phone in public might expose your sensitive information? Scammers increasingly use public charging stations to steal critical user information from smartphones in a scam called "Juice Jacking."

What exactly is Juice Jacking?

Juice jacking is a cyberattack in which scammers install phony charging stations in public locations. These charging stations are designed to secretly take sensitive data from devices plugged into them. When a person puts their device into a fake charging port, scammers access it and gather personal information such as passwords, credit card information, and other sensitive information. Scammers may even install malware straight into the victim's gadget to control it remotely in some circumstances.

How to Keep Safe

  • While it can be difficult to tell if charging stations are real or fake, here are some precautions to safeguard your devices from this cyber attack.
  • It is best to bring your charger and avoid unauthorized data transfer to guarantee the safety of your device.
  • Always have a portable power bank if you need to charge something while travelling.
  • Use a USB data blocker for enhanced security. It's a little adaptor that keeps data from being exchanged between your device and the charging station.

By following these easy guidelines, you may avoid becoming a victim of Juice Jacking and keep your personal information protected while on the go. Don't let con artists take advantage of you. Use caution when utilizing public charging outlets to stay watchful and secure your personal information. 






 

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Unauthorized access
Data Breach Hackers Patch Fix Phishing Attacks Phone hacking Unauthorized access

The Power of a 5-Minute Phone Switch Off Against Hacking

The possibility of hacking is greater than ever in our increasingly digital society, where technology permeates every aspect of our lives. People and businesses are growing more vulnerable to cyberattacks as cybercriminals' techniques become more sophisticated. However, turning off your cell phone for just five minutes each day might be a quick but effective step in the fight against hacking.

Numerous experts have emphasized the importance of periodically disconnecting from the digital world to protect ourselves from potential security breaches. One of the main reasons for this recommendation is that mobile phones, even when not in use, can still be targeted by hackers. By switching off the device, individuals create a temporary shield that interrupts any potential hacking attempts.

According to cybersecurity professionals, a powered-off phone reduces the chances of unauthorized access to personal data and minimizes the risk of malware infiltration. It provides a brief respite from the constant online presence, allowing the phone to refresh and potentially thwart any ongoing hacking attempts.

Australian Prime Minister John Thompson recently advocated for this practice, urging residents to switch off their phones every night for a mere five minutes. He emphasized that this small act could have significant implications in enhancing cybersecurity and safeguarding personal information.

While switching off your phone may seem inconsequential, it interrupts the chain of connectivity and provides a momentary pause in the relentless stream of data transmission. This break can be crucial in identifying potential vulnerabilities and preventing hackers from gaining unauthorized access.

Furthermore, a brief daily power-down of your mobile device helps combat hacking and offers several additional benefits. It allows the phone's software to update and install the latest security patches, ensuring it remains protected against emerging threats. Regular updates are a crucial aspect of maintaining a solid defense against hackers.

Stress levels can be greatly reduced and mental health can be improved by taking a brief vacation from continual digital interaction. People may experience information overload and a sense of being always on due to the constant barrage of notifications, messages, and social media updates. People can feel relieved and reclaim a peaceful moment by unplugging even for a brief period.


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Phone hacking
APT attacks Cyber Security Phone hacking

Mobile Malware: The next biggest security threat around the world


BlackBerry reveals Advance Persistence Threats and players targeting several enterprises. This entire time, the world had no clue about how widespread and common mobile malware is, and how it is being used for constant monitoring and reconnaissance. In truth, there are several hot actors and high-level safety threat that we didn't know until now. An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a long-time and pointed cyber invasion in which an invader gets entrance to a system and stays anonymous for a while.


The purpose of an APT intervention is usually to spy mobile actions and unlawfully take data instead of causing any harm to the company or the network. "It is Fertile, Prevalent and Multi-Platform," concludes Blackberry in a report titled 'Mobile Malware and APT Espionage.' The analysts recognized three superior harmful attacks, dawning essentially in countries like China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Iran, which further strengthens mobile malware, along with computer malware. The final aim is cyber spying and info retrieving, principally for business and administrative purposes. 

Opening up is a new harmful threat that Blackberry proclaims as BBCY-TA2. PWNDROID3, an earlier obscure android malware class, is being used for distributing a counterfeit bitcoin application. Following it is BBCY-TA3, a mobile malware that aims for westward and South Asian economic ventures in the telecommunications business. It also picks out almost all chemical production corporations across the globe, except for China. BlackBerry states it is yielding its relapse support with BBCY-TA2. Another Advance Persistence Threat is a class known as OCEANLOTUS, which uses a unique Android malware species PWNDROID1, via three spam mobile applications.

The whole show is that it makes BlackBerry Cylance CTO Eric Cornelius to the understanding that phone invasions are more conspicuous pervading of a danger than what people assumed. “This would come as a blow to the people when they discover how connected, and long-termed the attacks picking up mobile users are, as they have been simple prey for Advance Persistent Threat organizations. The reason being is the traditional lack of efficient safety resolutions for identifying and stopping mobile malware.”
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Vulnerabilities and Exploits
Phone hacking SIM jacking Simjacker User Data User Security Vulnerabilities and Exploits

Simjacker Exploits S@T Browser to Affect a Billion Users



Platform agnostic attack, Simjacker allows hackers to remotely exploit the victims' phone by sending a SMS which contains a malicious code; the code gives instructions to the universal integrated circuit card (UICC)/ SIM card placed inside the targeted device to retrieve and carry out sensitive commands.

The attack is set into motion as soon as the 'attack SMS' sent via another remote handset, is received by the targeted device. The process involves a series of SIM Toolkit (STK) directions particularly configured to be sent on to the SIM Card inside the victim's device.

To ensure a proper execution of these instructions, Simjacker exploits the S@T Browser, which is a software found in SIM cards. After receiving the 'attack SMS', SIM card resorts to the S@T Browser library for setting up the execution friendly environment which can trigger logic on the infected device.

S@T Browser, a legacy browser technology placed inside the SIM cards on a number of handsets, was typically used to send promotional messages or spam text messages. However, the attackers went on exploiting it for obtaining device's location and its unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).

The attacker sends a SMS to the S@T browser asking it for the aforementioned information which it would obtain and store on to the SIM card. Then, the attacker would send another SMS to acquire the stored information. These messages are send and received in binary codes, unlike regular messages. It doesn't alert the victim in any manner and hence qualifies to be a highly effective tool for attacking mobile phones via messages.

Referencing from the findings of mobile carrier security company AdaptiveMobile Security, 

"The main Simjacker attack involves an SMS containing a specific type of spyware-like code being sent to a mobile phone, which then instructs the SIM Card within the phone to ‘take over’ the mobile phone to retrieve and perform sensitive commands." 

"We believe this vulnerability has been exploited for at least the last two years by a highly sophisticated attacker group." The report reads. 

Notably, the exploit is working as a lot of operators are failing to check the origin of these binary codes (SMS), which can be blocked by configuring the firewall technology in their corresponding networks, advises AdaptiveMobile.





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Smartphone Hacks
Android Android devices Android Hacks Phone hacking Smartphone Smartphone Hacks

Android phones vulnerable to Qualcomm bugs

Security researchers from Tencent’s Blade Team are warning Android smartphone and tablet users of flaws in Qualcomm chipsets, called QualPwn. The bugs collectively allow hackers to compromise Android devices remotely simply by sending malicious packets over-the-air – no user interaction required.

Three bugs make up QualPwn (CVE-2019-10539, CVE-2019-10540 and CVE-2019-10538). The prerequisite for the attack is that both the attacker and targeted Android device must be active on the same shared Wi-Fi network.

“One of the vulnerabilities allows attackers to compromise the WLAN and modem, over-the-air. The other allows attackers to compromise the Android kernel from the WLAN chip. The full exploit chain allows attackers to compromise the Android kernel over-the-air in some circumstances,” wrote researchers.

All three vulnerabilities have been reported to Qualcomm and Google’s Android security team and patches are available for handsets. “We have not found this vulnerability to have a public full exploit code,” according to a brief public disclosure of the flaws by the Tencent Blade Team.

Researchers said their focus was on Google Pixel2 and Pixel3 handsets and that its tests indicated that unpatched phones running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and Snapdragon 845 chips may be vulnerable.

A Qualcomm spokesperson told Threatpost in a statement: “Providing technologies that support robust security and privacy is a priority for Qualcomm. We commend the security researchers from Tencent for using industry-standard coordinated disclosure practices through our Vulnerability Rewards Program. Qualcomm Technologies has already issued fixes to OEMs, and we encourage end users to update their devices as patches become available from OEMs.”

The first critical bug (CVE-2019-10539) is identified by researchers as a “buffer copy without checking size of input in WLAN.” Qualcomm describes it as a “possible buffer overflow issue due to lack of length check when parsing the extended cap IE header length.”
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WhatsApp Call
Android Security App vulnerability Mobile Spyware Phone hacking WhatsApp WhatsApp Call

All it takes a WhatsApp call for the spyware to enter your phone


It’s been a day of high-profile security incidents. First there was news the popular WhatsApp messenger app was hacked. Updated versions of WhatsApp have been released, which you should install if you’re one of the more than one billion people who use the app.

WhatsApp has confirmed that a security flaw in the app let attackers install spy software on their targets' smartphones. The spyware install on a host phone via a WhatsApp call. The spyware deletes all WhatsApp call logs to become untraceable.

On Wednesday, chip-maker Intel confirmed that new problems discovered with some of its processors could reveal secret information to attacks.

What's scary about this spyware is that it can slip on any WhatsApp users' smartphone without giving the slightest clue that their devices have been infected. All it takes is a WhatsApp call.

The WhatsApp news was revealed first by the Financial Times, which says the bug was used in an attempt to access content on the phone of a UK-based human rights lawyer.

That has left many of its 1.5 billion users wondering how safe the "simple and secure" messaging app really is. How trustworthy are apps and devices?

No. Messages on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they are scrambled when they leave the sender's device. The messages can be decrypted by the recipient's device only.

WhatsApp is arguably one of the most popular social messaging apps in the world. In the recent times, the Facebook-owned social messaging app has been under fire owing to the rampant spread of misinformation on its platform. But never has the app been under seige by a malware. That is until now.

WhatsApp has rolled out an update to its servers. It has also rolled out a security patch on to its Android and iOS apps to safeguard your phone data. Software patches have been released by several vendors, including Microsoft. You should install security updates from vendors promptly, including these.
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Saudi Arabia
Amazon Jeff Bezos Phone hacking Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia behind Jeff Bezos' phone hack




The investigators of Amazon chief’s release of intimate images believes that Saudi Arabian authorities were behind it.

According to the security officer of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos 
the Saudi Arabian authorities hacked into his phone, and obtained private data from it. 

Gavin De Becker, a longtime security consultant, launched the investigation after the National Enquirer published intimate texts between Bezos and his mistress, a television anchor Lauren Sanchez.

Last month, Bezos accused the newspaper’s owner of trying to blackmail him with the threat of publishing 'intimate photos' he allegedly sent to Sanchez unless he said in public that the tabloid’s reporting on him was not politically motivated.

"Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information," de Becker wrote on The Daily Beast website.

Last month,  the incident came into light when Mr Bezos acccused the owner of the tabloid of threatening him to publishing the ”intimate photos" that he allegedly sent to Ms Sanchez unless he did not publicly state that the tabloid's coverage of him was not politically motivated.




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The Sun
Media. News of the World Privacy Phone hacking Press intrusion The Sun

The Last Minute Deal against the Murdoch Papers



The very late arrangement or better known as the last minute deal on Thursday in regards to the Phone-hacking cases brought by Vic Reeves, Kate Thornton and two others against Rupert Murdoch's Sun and News of the World earned the two sides a censure from Mr Justice Mann, who griped that issues vital to another 47 hacking cases in the pipeline that had not been resolved yet.

The classified settlement was concurred with comedian Reeves, whose real name is Jim Moir; television presenter Kate Thornton, Coronation Street on-screen actor Jimmi Harkishin and talent hunter Chris Herbert. Murdoch's News Group Daily papers were likewise anticipated that would pay their expenses, assessed at £4m altogether.

                                          
                                            (Jim Moir , Kate Thorton and Jimmi Harkishin)

The case had likewise been expected to hear assertions of hacking by journalists at the Sun. News UK have never conceded that any hacking occurred at neither the day by day level, nor any wrongdoing by senior administrators. The very late agreement implied that neither of these issues was starting at yet decided.

The charges of wrongdoing by James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks additionally assume an imperative part in the hacking instance of pipelines also.

In spite of the fact that David Sherborne, counsel for the claimants, told the court that the claimants would 'allege criminality at the most senior level" with James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks as a feature of the case.

Mann also brought into everyone's notice that Murdoch's News Group Daily papers had made "admissions of unlawful activity at the News of the World but it has made none at the Sun" with regards to the pre-trial entries and submissions he had gotten. Additionally griping that the case had taken a long time to prepare and reach the trial stage, and that other disputants in the pipeline had now been denied of the chance to see issues of risk being resolved in an experiment or better yet in a test case.

The judge told the court that the last minute settlement of the four cases was a "serious matter" in light of the fact that the court had given "a significant amount of time and resources" to setting them up for trial because of the apparent significance of the case.

The settlement of a “a useful test case raises troublesome issues" for others, wanting to bring claims, he stated, including that the future hacking litigation would need to be managed in a quite unexpected way.

Ed Miliband, the previous Labour leader and a critic of the Murdoch family, stated: 
"This last-minute deal is yet another case of the Murdochs going to extraordinary lengths to prevent detailed scrutiny of what really happened at their newspapers. It shows why we need the Leveson 2 [press] inquiry to get to the truth."


Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox is as yet looking for administrative endorsement from the Opposition and Markets Specialist and Authority for a full takeover of the satellite broadcaster Sky, albeit some resistance government officials, including Miliband, have said the media big shot ought to be kept from closing the deal, halfway on account of the phone-hacking allegations.
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