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Security Threats for Smart Phone Users

by NancyJ on March 12, 2010

Computer scientists at Rutgers University have shown how a familiar type of personal computer security threat can now attack new generations of smart mobile phones, with the potential to cause more serious consequences. The researchers demonstrated how such a software attack could cause a smart phone to eavesdrop on a meeting, track its owners travels, or rapidly drain its battery to render the phone useless.

Tagged as: mobile security threats 2010

{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }

paintbalmastr674 February 24, 2010 at 8:28 pm: @muk546
fucking dumb ass….
iamisandisnt February 25, 2010 at 11:14 am: @isokessu “In the real world” as opposed to the LAB where they created this software?

@mavriksfan11 They would get the files on your phone using bluetooth or wireless. The calling/texting is just the underlying technology behind the device – he would simply send an unnoticed text (which gets erased) and then you’re connected basically.
lood123 February 25, 2010 at 2:55 pm: this isn’t something new…the government admits that it eavesdrops and GPS tracks through our phones since 2001, i laugh at how this video states that this only occurs with “new generation smart mobile phones”, i have a 2004 motorola razr, and my phone is being tracked and listened to, if u ever want some privacy you gotta take the battery out
robertsammons1 February 25, 2010 at 6:28 pm: lmao who the hell has this linux phone, just you geek
chckycrk February 25, 2010 at 6:41 pm: you dumb ass they use the phone to create the malware and then send it to your phone
robertsammons1 February 25, 2010 at 6:42 pm: no the iphone sent a message to that phone that then called it
0ZeroTheHero February 25, 2010 at 7:44 pm: Oh shit son.
ervin08 February 25, 2010 at 7:49 pm: 1:05 lol creepy stalker
radisto February 25, 2010 at 8:19 pm: that’s why I hate phones!
MrRob502 February 25, 2010 at 8:49 pm: I thought I saw some AV software on the market for Smart phones from Kipersky and Trend Micro
25445799 February 25, 2010 at 9:31 pm: oh damn it i have an iphone thats last thing i wanted to hear
Paintball17Pro February 25, 2010 at 9:40 pm: creeper much
thinking2015 February 25, 2010 at 10:03 pm: I knew this for a long time but there ways of doing it to cheap phones also. Technology is great but its MEAN! Laptops are going to start to have standard webcams soon………………………………..think about it!
ben524524 February 25, 2010 at 10:30 pm: seriously….
addisonlp February 26, 2010 at 8:44 am: well good thing i live in texas, no body know how to hack stuff here!
RapidDogProductions February 26, 2010 at 8:50 am: We are all going to die ecause of some nerds!!! Please stop teasing and bullying these guys so they dont do shit likethis!!! Skynet is upon us or is that google?
MCProductions February 26, 2010 at 9:20 am: HAHA
Phone firewalls
kamischaf February 26, 2010 at 1:42 pm: Fuck it what a NERD!
seanki98 February 28, 2010 at 5:50 pm: interesting, but what exactly do you mean by “real world” how is there a “fake world” lol
awfultin February 28, 2010 at 9:05 pm: 52ND COMMENT
flyingdervish March 8, 2010 at 2:49 pm: None of the comments indicate understanding of what’s really shown here. 1) It’s a proof of concept. He didn’t say he can currently do this against an iPhone or brandX 2) Root kits can be installed on any general purpose operating system; so yes potentially iPhone, Linux-based such as Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, et al. 3) Yes, there are other ways to monitor your phone, but this is a new one from what I’ve seen. FBI wiretaps of your mobile work differently. How long til anyone can do this?
flyingdervish March 8, 2010 at 2:55 pm: He used OpenMoko to demo both the hacked phone and the receiver. It’s a proof of concept, though, to show the potential for similar attacks. An actual attacker might use any kind of capable phone to attack a particular target. Targets might include any kind of phone for which he can code a root kit. Another commentor noted it need not be a smart phone. The java vm on many phones might support similar attacks.
flyingdervish March 8, 2010 at 3:00 pm: @brotheraaron – this is a new method of doing the spying as far as we know.

@g0nz0madness – it’s malicious to the person being spied upon either way.
flyingdervish March 8, 2010 at 3:05 pm: It’s a proof of concept to show the potential for similar attacks. It could be done on any phone using a highly capable operating system such as the iPhone, Symbian, Maemo, MeeGo, Android, Palm, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, et al. Some hacker sees this and says, “cool idea, think I’ll try to getting that working with an iPhone.”
flyingdervish March 8, 2010 at 3:06 pm: It’s always nice to have more attack methods available to do something a little different