Hackers can take complete control of your phone - Tech Magazine

class=”label”> Published: 4 July 2013 at. 2:11 p.m. – Updated: 4 July 2013 at. 2:57 p.m.

company Bluebox Security, specialists in security on mobiles, has discovered a potentially catastrophic weakness of the Android security model. The weakness makes just about all Android devices vulnerable to hacking.

Hackers can include exploit this vulnerability to gain full access to content on the mobile.

weakness is that hackers can modify APK tags, file format used to install applications on androidsystemer, without the application’s cryptographic signature wrap.

This means that when an application is installed (or updated) operating system will not be able to see that the app has been changed. This allows hackers installing Trojan horses on the phone without the phone or the user even noticing it.

– Hackers can exploit this opportunity for everything from data theft to create networks of hacked phones, printer CTO of Bluebox Security, Jeff Forristal, on their own sites.

Can control your phone

As if that was not enough. Even worse if hackers manage to install Trojans on applications developed by the manufacturer of the phone, ie HTC, Samsung, Motorola and LG.

These applications have greater access on your phone. This means that they not only have access to information stored, but they can gain full control over the phone.

With this control, including turn on the camera, record calls, send messages, or track you via GPS. This weakness can be a potential technological nightmare.

Read also: 102,000 Norwegians have been the victim of ID theft

900 million units

According to Google itself is 900 million Android devices activated today. 99% of those at risk. The remaining percentages include Galaxy S4 phones, which are immune to this type of attack.

According Bluebox Security weakness has existed since Android 1.6. Phones that have an operating system older than it should therefore also be safe.

– We warned Google in February, but it is up to the manufacturers of the various entities to develop and distribute an update to counteract weakness, writes Forristal.

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Countermeasures

Along with the report also comes Bluebox Security with some recommendations how to protect against this kind of hacking, but not very specific.

recommendations is that the user must be extra cautious with applications they download and be careful who has developed the application.

In addition, they say that one must look for updates and keep his unit as updated as possible.

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