Phone Hacker

[swee'pea99]

Set up a new wi-fi router at work today, and half an hour later thought 'I ought to set up the security'. Out of curiosity I checked to see if anyone was riding on our broadband - nine of the buggers! (Four of them iphones)

 

[Chris Sirrus]

Sacmmers use these programs to hijack your phone and phone their own premium rate phone lines.

 

[Alien8]

If you really want to know about Bluetooth security vulnerabilities checkout the Bluetooth SIG Security Q&A here.

 

[dodgy]

I can see this taking off over the next few years as kids cotton on to it.

Not really, that hack only works on older phones, and although new vulnerabilities are discovered in communication protocols everyday, much of the interesting exposures in bluetooth have been fixed and new ones are decreasing massively in frequency.

I do work in this area by the way.

 

[dodgy]

If you really want to know about Bluetooth security vulnerabilities checkout the Bluetooth SIG Security Q&A here.

Good call.

 

[Twenty Inch]

FWIW, the security services have long been able to turn on any phone remotely, without it showing, so that it acts as a listening device.

 

[dodgy]

FWIW, the security services have long been able to turn on any phone remotely, without it showing, so that it acts as a listening device.

Only if the telecom provider has delivered the appropriate application disguised as a firmware upgrade, as recently happened in the UAE.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Security services and telecoms providers have long worked very closely together though....

 

[dodgy]

Security services and telecoms providers have long worked very closely together though....

Yes, but when malware is delivered by a telecom provider it quickly becomes apparent, even when it is done on behalf of the security services.
Phones cannot simply be turned into listening devices, it only happened in the UAE because of collusion with several parties and the choice of the blackberry platform. That kind of organisation is difficult to orchestrate in an open society. And yes we are open, compared with some states.

 

[yenrod]

Be afraid!

On Saturday night I took my son and two of his mates to the pictures. One of his pals was messing around with an application on his phone which was very funny but genuinely worrying.

What this little gem allowed him to do was hijack any other phone that was within range via bluetooth. He had full control of the target phone, could change any setting on it, access any file or folder and even make calls from it! There is little the rightful owner can do about it once the phone is jacked, all of the buttons are locked so removing the battery is about your only option.

Not a wind up. The program is called Super Bluetooth, google it. If your bluetooth is switched on your phone can be hacked and it works on any phone. So be warned. I can see this taking off over the next few years as kids cotton on to it. 4.

Turning the BT on ALL THE TIME drains the batt. - bigtime !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[yenrod]

Though saying that: you'd have to be a sad t**t to want to do this...(hack anothers fone) - and I guess someone will get a good seeing to over this.

 

[Twenty Inch]

Yes, but when malware is delivered by a telecom provider it quickly becomes apparent, even when it is done on behalf of the security services.
Phones cannot simply be turned into listening devices, it only happened in the UAE because of collusion with several parties and the choice of the blackberry platform. That kind of organisation is difficult to orchestrate in an open society. And yes we are open, compared with some states.

A quick Google shows that the possibility has been around, and used, for a long time. Craig Murray in Murder in Samarkand is convinced the technique is widely available to UK security services and was used against him. I also know a businessman who in conversation mentioned that he was part of a consortium that had developed the capacity to deliver malware to phones without leaving a trace.

I accept you're in the industry, but that's not going to cure my paranoia!

 

[dodgy]

A quick Google shows that the possibility has been around, and used, for a long time. Craig Murray in Murder in Samarkand is convinced the technique is widely available to UK security services and was used against him. I also know a businessman who in conversation mentioned that he was part of a consortium that had developed the capacity to deliver malware to phones without leaving a trace.

I accept you're in the industry, but that's not going to cure my paranoia!

Nothing wrong with healthy paranoia Everything I know hasn't been gleaned from reading the Internet or from talking to 'businessmen'

 

[Batzman]

Yes, but when malware is delivered by a telecom provider it quickly becomes apparent, even when it is done on behalf of the security services.
Phones cannot simply be turned into listening devices, it only happened in the UAE because of collusion with several parties and the choice of the blackberry platform. That kind of organisation is difficult to orchestrate in an open society. And yes we are open, compared with some states.

...there's a fix for that:

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/ataglance/security/regappremover.jsp

it was never sanctioned by RIM.

 

[Glow worm]

That sound great! Can you really buy those?

http://www.globalgadgetuk.com/personal.htm
is a good place to start. Sit in the middle of the train carriage and peace/ tranquility is yours....