Exploit Allows Attackers to Take Remote Control of Any GSM Phone
December 27th, 2011Via: Domain B:
A widely used wireless technology could allow hackers to gain remote control of any GSM mobile phone because of outdated mobile network security, says German mobile phone security researcher Karsten Nohl.
According to a study to be presented today by Nohl, mobile users on GSM networks that are used by billions of people around he world may be vulnerable to having their personal voice mail hacked because of the way in which they handle commands.
This vulnerability gives hackers remote control of phones, instructing them to send text messages or make calls, says Nohl, who will present his results at a convention of the Chaos Computer Club, a hackers’ group, in Berlin.
After conducting a study of 31 mobile operators in Europe, Morocco and Thailand, Nohl, found that many operators provided poor or weak defences to protect consumers from illegal surveillance and identity theft.
