Your GSM Phone is (Probably) Vulnerable to Malicious Text Messages
By Andrew Brandt | Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 11:47 am
Virtually all GSM phones (such as Apple’s iPhone) and GSM wireless operators (such as AT&T and T-Mobile) on the planet appear to be vulnerable to attacks using specially crafted SMS text messages discovered by security researchers Zane Lackey and Luis Miras. At the Black Hat Briefings this morning, the two researchers demonstrated several different ways they could bypass anti-spoofing protection in cellphones, and as a result, could send phones hidden commands, profile phones, or even exploit vulnerabilities that remotely disable a targeted phone’s ability to send and receive calls or text messages.
The researchers described how they set up test systems which could read the header data sent along with text messages, then used software to craft their own custom headers and messages and sent those messages to various types of GSM phones. Based on the behavior of the phones they tested, they were able to create several kinds of automated attacks for various phone models, and determined a method an attacker could use to silently connect to mobile phones and retrieve information that permits the attacker to identify the make and model of phone, and other profiling information.
One aspect of the vulnerability not well understood is how different models of phones will behave when they receive these specially-crafted messages. Some, like the Sony Ericsson model shown at right, provide the user no context as to whether information pushed down to the phone comes from a legitimate source.
In a final coup for the conference, Lackey and Miras demonstrated an iPhone app they call TAFT which can, at the click of a few buttons, transmit various types of attacks against specific, vulnerable phone models, including iPhones, and phones running the Windows Mobile 5 and pre-“cupcake” Android operating systems.
The researchers are currently working with all major carriers and phone manufacturers to fix the problems, but warn that it may take some time before the vulnerabilities have been patched.
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iPhone SMS vulnerability - for virtually all phones? - The Tech Lunch Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 2:10 pm[…] iPhone SMS vulnerability – for virtually all phones? Jul.30, 2009 in Apple, Daan Berg column, Hardware, News Your GSM Phone is Probably Vulnerable to Malicious Text Messages […]
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Black Hat: SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones | Gizmo Addiction Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 2:50 pm[…] Technologizer is reporting on the developing story on SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, nearly all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing shield and send goods designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
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Hackers show how Apple iPhone can be taken over by malicious text message @ Technology News Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 3:15 pm[…] then later in the session, two other researchers step up and say that pretty much any GSM phone is vulnerable to maliciously crafted text messages. Oh, hell. As a result, [they] could send phones hidden […]
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Black Hat: SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones | Apple News Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pm[…] Technologizer is reporting on the developing story on SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, nearly all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing defense and send notes designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
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Black Hat: SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones | Spike Feed Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 6:03 pm[…] Technologizer is reporting on the developing story on SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, almost all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing security and send data designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
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winandmac.com » Not only the iPhone: All GSM phones can be hacked by malicious SMS Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 7:18 pm[…] Technologizer, BusinessWeek, […]
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Black Hat: SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones - 1559th Edition | Tech & Telephone Blog Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 10:30 pm[…] Technologizeris reporting on thedeveloping storyon SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, almost all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing security and send data designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
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Calm down: It’s not doomsday for your iPhone - L&C Tech Talk Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 12:00 am[…] Harry McCracken at Technologizer reports that all phones that use GSM (including AT&T and T-mobile phones) are vulnerable to the […]
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Black Hat: SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones | Albmobile Blog - Maximize Your Mobile Phone Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 12:48 am[…] Technologizer is reporting on the developing story on SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, almost all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing security and send data designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
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Black Hat: SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones | Hot Trends 2 Tweet Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 1:27 am[…] Technologizer is reporting on the developing story on SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, almost all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing security and send data designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
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Hackers show how Apple iPhone can be taken over by malicious text message | RSS For Gadgets Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 3:45 am[…] then later in the session, two other researchers step up and say that pretty much any GSM phone is vulnerable to maliciously crafted text messages. Oh, hell. As a result, [they] could send phones hidden […]
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theregoesdave.com » The skinny on the iPhone vulnerability Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 5:28 am[…] AT&T to remotely control features on your phone. If your provider is T-Mobile or AT&T, your phone likely has the same ‘feature’ these guys are calling a […]
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Black Hat: SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones | My Apple iPhone Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 5:38 am[…] Technologizer is reporting on the developing story on SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, almost all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing security and send data designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
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How iPhone can be taken over by text - Front Page News - NewsSpotz Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 6:30 am[…] does figure this out. ..And then later in the session, two other researchers step up and say that pretty much any GSM phone is vulnerable to maliciously crafted text messages. Oh, hell. As a result, [they] could send phones hidden […]
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iPhone hack? How about an AT&T and T-Mobile hack. | Techronos Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 6:46 am[…] network (AT&T and T-Mobile) are affected by this flaw. Not just the iPhone. Read about it here on […]
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Falha de segurança no SMS do iPhone também afeta outros celulares e deverá ser solucionada pela Apple logo | MacMagazine Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 8:27 am[…] Technologizer.] Email this to a friend?Tweet This!Share this on FacebookShare this on del.icio.usAdd this to […]
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winandmac 香港版 | 不只是iPhone：手機SMS存在嚴重漏洞 Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 9:57 am[…] [來源：Technologizer, BusinessWeek, CNET] […]
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iPhone/GSM phones vulnerable to SMS hacks, patch coming soon | Nuze.me Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 10:02 am[…] However, security researchers Zane Lackey and Luis Miras also demonstrated that the vulnerability can affect any GSM phone, though exactly how each phone reacts to the vulnerability […]
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Open Systems Journal » Blog Archive » iPhone/GSM phones vulnerable to SMS hacks, patch coming soon Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 10:41 am[…] However, security researchers Zane Lackey and Luis Miras also demonstrated that the vulnerability can affect any GSM phone, though exactly how each phone reacts to the vulnerability […]
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The Vortex:The Jokes Just Write Themselves « The Guidewire Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 10:48 am[…] an “It’s all over people!” proclamation, beware of one-character SMS messages on any GSM phone, not just iPhones. Two researchers were kind enough to demonstrate the hack yesterday, so if you […]
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iPhone/GSM phones vulnerable to SMS hacks, patch coming soon | I R Here Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 11:02 am[…] However, security researchers Zane Lackey and Luis Miras also demonstrated that the vulnerability can affect any GSM phone, though exactly how each phone reacts to the vulnerability […]
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Apple releases patch for iPhone SMS flaw [Updated] - L&C Tech Talk Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 12:01 pm[…] has known about the bug for more than a month. It apparently affects smartphones that use GSM, but Google’s Android is the only phone OS that has already been […]
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iPhone/GSM phones vulnerable to SMS hacks, patch coming soon | Wilsonbroadcast Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 1:35 pm[…] However, security researchers Zane Lackey and Luis Miras also demonstrated that the vulnerability can affect any GSM phone, though exactly how each phone reacts to the vulnerability […]
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Apple Patches SMS Security Flaw | Technologizer Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 2:01 pm[…] all: Quickies It sounded alarming–even if the scariness was theoretical–but now Apple has patched it up. Details […]
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Black Hat: SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones « Everything iPhone Says:
July 31st, 2009 at 3:19 pm[…] Technologizer is reporting on the developing story on SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, almost all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing security and send data designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
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iPhone/GSM phones vulnerable to SMS hacks, patch coming soon | mowbee.com Says:
August 1st, 2009 at 2:54 pm[…] However, security researchers Zane Lackey and Luis Miras also demonstrated that the vulnerability can affect any GSM phone, though exactly how each phone reacts to the vulnerability […]
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Apple Patches iPhone SMS Security Flaw | Oh Wow ... a Blog Says:
August 12th, 2009 at 10:23 am[…] sounded alarming–even if the scariness was theoretical–but now Apple has patched it up. Details […]
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Ui Magic » Smartphone Vulnerability Says:
August 17th, 2009 at 2:35 pm[…] the phone from the network or hijack it altogether. Security experts Zane Lackey and Luis Miras demonstrated one such scenario on a Sony Ericsson phone, sending a malicious message that showed up on the phone as: “New settings received. […]
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SMS Attacks Not Just for iPhones | See with SEO eyes Says:
September 25th, 2010 at 3:53 am[…] Technologizer is reporting on the developing story on SMS attacks coming out of today’s Black Hat Conference sessions. Seems like while the iPhone is grabbing a lot of attention, almost all GSM phones are said to be vulnerable. Basically, they get around the anti-spoofing security and send data designed to get access and take control of the phone. […]
July 30th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I believe “phones running the Windows Mobile 5 and pre-”cupcake” Android operating systems.” have been patched by Google and HTC, however Apple iPhones are still unpacthed.
Interesting that Apple and Co have known about this for a while (a month I believe) But the only updates Apple released on are anti-jailbrake ones and ones that stop the pre using iTunes…
Good to know Apple has it’s consumers at heart.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Some pretty alarming stuff. How many of us would just click “install” on a random text message we receive, trusting that it’s from the network and not some hacker? As we put more and more of our lives on our smartphones (esp. the iPhone), we become ever more vulnerable to these attacks. Besides patches, what can be done to better secure our phones before a vulnerability is again detected?
We’ve been discussing this on our blog: http://uimagicinc.com/blog/ Please check us out and leave a comment!
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