Nearly every Android smartphone can be hacked via Wi-Fi

Tram Ho

Hackers can target multiple mobile phones and other technology items running the Android operating system via Wi-Fi, which is what has just been revealed by researchers.

Devices equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon processor line are the main target of being threatened. A vulnerability on Snapdragon chip allows hackers to gain access to the device just by connecting to the same Wi-Fi network with your phone.

Having the same name as “QualPwn”, these are actually two separate vulnerabilities that can be exploited to hack over the wireless network, meaning that the hacker just needs to sit near the victim – even without being in the same the room – is able to access their device already.

“QualPwn” was discovered by Tencent Blade, a security research group attached to Chinese game giant Tencent, and was unveiled at last week’s Black Hat cyber security event.

Gần như mọi smartphone Android đều có thể bị hack thông qua Wi-Fi - Ảnh 1.

Google Pixel 2 is taken as an example for Snapdragon devices affected by “QualPwn”.

These two vulnerabilities take advantage of the Snapdragon hardware method to connect to Wi-Fi networks and maintain security when online, meaning that once connected, third parties can send data packets. Toxic to the victim through air … then run code that allows them to control the victim’s entire device.

Tencent Blade stressed that most of the Snapdragon 835 or 845 chip devices will be affected, and they use smartphones such as Pixel and Pixel 2 to illustrate the announcement of the vulnerability.

Qualcomm said it has released a patch specifically for the two vulnerabilities and alerted its partners that they could prepare patches. The company further revealed that through investigation, they found that almost all of their Snapdragon chips were affected, not just 835 and 845.

QualPwn has now been patched by Google in the August 2019 Android security update, and users should take advantage of updating the device as soon as possible to avoid unfortunate circumstances.

Reference: TechRadar

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Source : Trí Thức Trẻ