Search This Blog
Powered by Blogger.

Blog Archive

Labels

Load More
Trendy Right Now

Popular Posts

Showing posts with label Smartphones. Show all posts
Unauthorized access
Apple AssistiveTouch Face ID iPhone iPhone Features Privacy Smartphones Unauthorized access

Change the Face ID Settings to Prevent Anyone Access to Your iPhone


The innovations in iPhones keep adding enhanced and advanced privacy features. For instance, the setting in which one can hide their IP address when an email is being sent. Thus, safeguarding users from being tracked by nasty advertisers. 

One such advanced security feature that Apple has come up with is its renowned face ID. But is it really as secure as Apple claims it to be? 

Your Face ID is Vulnerable Unless You Change This Setting 

Initially, Apple’s Face ID utilizes its TrueDepth camera, capturing facial data with incredible accuracy by projecting and analyzing thousands of invisible dots. It creates a map of all your creases and wrinkles and saves that information as a code to unlock your phone. 

Additionally, Face ID automatically adjusts to the development (if any) that may have gone through the look, like when you wear makeup or grow facial hair. Face ID uses your passcode to verify your identity when there has been a more significant change to your look, such as removing your beard, before updating your face data. 

Hats, scarves, glasses, contact lenses, face masks, sunglasses, and other headwear are all compatible with Face ID. According to Apple, the odds of someone else's face unlocking your iPhone are one in a million. 

What About Your Face? 

One of the common and obvious concerns is: what if someone unlocks your phone by holding it up to your face, while you are asleep? Well, the good news is that these systems usually never work when you have your eyes closed. 

The bad news? This security feature on your phone can well be disregarded. But, to prevent this from happening, there is something that can be done as discussed below: 

Smartphones are equipped with specific security features for users with hearing, visual, or mobility impairments. You can either use your phone to dictate what appears on the screen or enlarge the words on it. If you have trouble touching the screen or pushing the buttons on your iPhone, features like 'AssistiveTouch' would make it easier for you to utilize it. 

These are some vital tools that assist them to their aid, for users who need them. Yet, there is a setting that can compromise your security. 

Face ID also offers an accessibility feature to help those who are blind or have vision impairment. With the help of this setting, you may unlock your phone without having to open your eyes. While some users may need this, one should avoid using the feature if their feature is not impaired. Here is where to find it: 

  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Face ID & Attention. 
  • Make sure Require Attention for Face ID is enabled. 

Although this setting is enabled by default, someone who has access to your phone could lock it while you are asleep and then turn it back on. Thus, to avoid the frightening consequences that may ensue, a brief check and constant monitoring here is more than worthwhile.  

Read more »
Smartphones
Android Encryption Mobile Security Samsung Smartphones

Samsung Delivered 100 Million Phones with Faulty Encryption

 

Samsung is thought to have shipped 100 million smartphones with flawed encryption, including models ranging from the 2017 Galaxy S8 to last year's Galaxy S21. Tel Aviv University researchers discovered "serious" cryptographic design defects that might have allowed attackers to steal the devices' hardware-based cryptographic keys, keys that unlock the vast trove of security-critical data present in smartphones. 

To keep crucial security operations isolated from normal apps, Android devices, which almost all employ Arm-compatible silicon, rely on a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) backed by Arm's TrustZone technology. TEEs use their own operating system, TrustZone Operating System (TZOS), and it is up to suppliers to integrate cryptographic features within TZOS. 

According to the researchers, the Android Keystore provides hardware-backed cryptographic key management via the Keymaster Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL). Samsung implemented the HAL with Keymaster TA, a Trusted Application running in the TrustZone that performs cryptographic activities such as key generation, encryption, attestation, and signature creation in a safe environment. The outcomes of these TEE crypto calculations can subsequently be used in apps that run in less secure Android environments. 

The Keymaster TA saves cryptographic keys as blobs — the keys are wrapped (encrypted using AES-GCM) so that they may be saved in the Android file system. They should, in theory, only be readable within the TEE. 

Samsung, on the other hand, failed to successfully deploy Keymaster TA in its Galaxy S8, S9, S10, S20, and S21 phones. The researchers reverse engineered the Keymaster application and demonstrated that they could use an Initialization Vector (IV) reuse attack to get keys from hardware-protected key blobs. The IV is supposed to be a unique number each time, ensuring that the AES-GCM encryption operation provides a different result even when the same plain text is encrypted multiple times. 

According to the experts, the problem isn't simply with how Samsung handled encryption. According to the Tel Aviv University's study, these issues arise as a result of companies – specifically, Samsung and Qualcomm – keeping their cryptography designs close to the vest.

“Vendors including Samsung and Qualcomm maintain secrecy around their implementation and design of TZOSs and TAs,” they wrote in their paper. “As we have shown, there are dangerous pitfalls when dealing with cryptographic systems. The design and implementation details should be well audited and reviewed by independent researchers and should not rely on the difficulty of reverse engineering proprietary systems.”
Read more »
US
Apple Cyber Attacks Hacker Israel Smartphones Spyware US

Israeli Company Spyware Targets US Department Phones

 

According to four individuals familiar with the situation, the iPhones of at least nine U.S. State Department workers had been compromised by an unidentified man using advanced spyware produced by the Israel-based NSO Group. 

The attacks, which occurred in the previous few months, targeted U.S. officials who were either based in Uganda or focused on issues about the East African country, according to two of the sources. 

The attacks, which were first revealed here, are the most extensive known hacks of US officials using NSO technology. Earlier, a database of numbers with prospective targets that included certain American leaders surfaced in NSO reporting, although it was unclear if incursions were always attempted or successful. 

NSO Group stated in a statement that it had no evidence that its tools had been used, but that it had canceled access for the relevant clients and therefore would investigate. 

"If our investigation shall show these actions indeed happened with NSO's tools, such customer will be terminated permanently and legal actions will take place," said an NSO spokesperson, who added that NSO will also "cooperate with any relevant government authority and present the full information we will have." 

NSO has always stated that it exclusively sells its products to government law enforcement and intelligence agencies to assist them in monitoring security concerns and that it is not intimately associated with surveillance operations. 

A State Department official refused to respond to the intrusions and pointed to the Commerce Department's recent decision to place the Israeli corporation on an entity list, making it more difficult for US businesses to do business with them. 

NSO Group and another spyware firm were "added to the Entity List based on a determination that they developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments that used this tool to maliciously target government officials, journalists, business people, activists, academics, and embassy workers," the Commerce Department said in an announcement last month. 

According to product instructions reviewed by Reuters, the NSO application is capable of not just stealing encrypted messages, images, and other confidential material from compromised phones, but also turning them into recording devices to watch their surroundings. 

The developer of the spyware employed in this hack was not named in Apple's advisory to affected consumers. According to two of the people who were alerted by Apple, the victims included American residents who were easily identified as U.S. government officials because they paired email addresses ending in state.gov with their Apple IDs. 

According to the sources, they and other victims alerted by Apple in multiple countries have been affected by the same graphics processing vulnerability. 

The Israeli embassy in Washington stated in a statement that targeting American officials would be a major violation of its norms. 

"Cyber products like the one mentioned are supervised and licensed to be exported to governments only for purposes related to counter-terrorism and severe crimes," an embassy spokesperson said. "The licensing provisions are very clear and if these claims are true, it is a severe violation of these provisions."
Read more »
Smartphones
Cyber Security France French Government Israel Pegasus Smartphones

5 French Minister Phones Affected with Pegasus Spyware

 

At least five French ministers and President Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic advisor mobile phones have been infected by Israel-made Pegasus spyware, whistle-blowers confirmed on Friday 24th of September. 

As per a Mediapart report on Friday, French security agencies have discovered software during the phone inspection, with breaches reported in 2019 and 2020. 

In July Pegasus produced by NSO Group, the Israeli company, was already in the middle of a hurricane following a list of around 50,000 possible surveillance targets worldwide leaking to the media, and was capable of switching the camera or microphone and harbor their data. 

The insinuation was made about two months after the Pegasus Project, the media consortium which included the Guardian, found that a leaked database at the core of the investigatory project included contact information of top France officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron and most of its 20-strong cabinet. 

There is no strong proof of successful hacking of phones of the five cabinet members however media reports suggest that the devices were targeted by the potent spyware known as Pegasus, which is created by the NSO Group. 

Pegasus enables users to track the conversation, text messages, pictures, and location whenever installed effectively by government customers within the Israeli firm and can convert phones into remotely controlled listening devices. 

The consortium of Pegasus Project, organized by the French Forbidden Stories non-profit media, showed that international customers of NSO utilized hacker tools to attack journalists and human rights organizations. 

NSO reportedly stated that its strong malware is designed not to target civilian society members but to probe severe criminals. It has stated it has no link to the leaked database reviewed by the Pegasus Project and also the tens of thousands of numbers included do not target NSO customers. It has also firmly disputed that Pegasus Spyware has always targeted Macron. 

In a statement released on Thursday night, NSO said: “We stand by our previous statements regarding French government officials. They are not and have never been Pegasus targets. We won’t comment on anonymous source allegations.” 

Furthermore, the authenticity of the allegation was verified by two French individuals with knowledge of the inquiry, but they asked not to be named since they had not been allowed to talk to the media. 

"My phone is one of those checked out by the national IT systems security agency, but I haven't yet heard anything about the investigation so I cannot comment at this stage," Wargon told the L'Opinion website Friday. 

Mediapart stated that the handsets of the ministers for education (Jean-Michel Blanquer), Jacqueline Gourault, Julien Denormandie, Emmanuelle Wargon, Sébastien Lecornu and others – displayed indications of the virus Pegasus. The report noted that at the time of the allegations of targeting that happened in 2019 and less often in 2020, not all the Ministers had their current roles, but all were Ministers. The phone of the Macron Diplomatic Consultants at the Elysee Palace was also targeted. 

The Élysée Palace also stated that it would not comment on “long and complex investigations which are still ongoing”. 

The Prosecutor's Office refused to comment or to clarify whether or whether not the ministers' phone hacking had been found, stating that the investigation was subject to judicial confidentiality regulations. Although since the end of July, when the palace officials notified prudence, the Élysée has not reacted to the Pegasus affair and said that “no certainty at this stage”.
Read more »
WiFi
Bluetooth Cyber Security Radio Based Attack Smartphones WiFi

Safeguard Your Smartphones From Radio-based Attacks

 

Smartphones, unlike PCs, involve a range of radios – generally cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Near Field Communication (NFC) – that permit wireless communication in a variety of situations, and these radios are made to remain turned on while the user moves around the world. All smartphone users should be aware of the security implications of these wireless connections. 

Security flaws in these interfaces are a matter of concern, whether built into the protocol or discovered in a particular implementation. They can enable attackers to force connections to untrusted equipment, allowing them to extract data and even gain access to the target device. According to reports, RF-based tactics are used by sophisticated nation-state actors such as Russia and China, allegedly target people traveling through airports and other chokepoints. However, the tools for RF hacking are available to garden-variety hackers as well. 

Ways attackers engage in RF hacking: 

The IMSI catcher, also known as a cell-site simulator, false cell tower, rogue base station, StingRay, or dirtbox in cellular communications, is the biggest concern. An IMSI catcher is a piece of equipment that acts like a genuine cell tower, allowing a targeted smartphone to connect to it rather than the actual mobile network. It may be done using a variety of ways, such as impersonating a neighboring cell tower or using white noise to jam the competing 5G/4G/3G frequencies. 

The IMSI catcher places itself between the targeted smartphone and its cellular network after capturing the IMSI of the targeted smartphone. (the ID number connected to its SIM card). The IMSI catcher is then used to track the user's position, collect data from the phone, and, in some circumstances, even install spyware on the device. 

Unfortunately, there's no guaranteed method for the ordinary smartphone user to see or know they're connecting to a fraudulent cell tower, but there may be some hints: a notably slower connection or a change in a band in the phone's status bar. 

Though 5G in standalone mode promises to make IMSI catchers obsolete since the Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) – 5G’s IMSI equivalent – is never exposed in the handshake between smartphone and cell tower. However, because these deployments account for a small percentage of all cellular networks, IMSI catchers will continue to be successful in the vast majority of situations in the near future. 

A Karma attack performed via a rogue access point is a critical danger to be mindful of on the Wi-Fi front. A rogue access point is often a Wi-Fi penetration testing device – the Wi-Fi Pineapple is one popular model – that is set up to attract unsuspecting users rather than auditing Wi-Fi networks. 

In a Karma attack, the rogue AP compromises a basic feature of smartphones and all Wi-Fi-enabled devices. When a smartphone's Wi-Fi is turned on but not connected to a network, the rogue AP broadcasts a preferred network list (PNL), which includes the SSIDs (Wi-Fi network names) of access points to which the device previously connected and is willing to reconnect to automatically without user intervention. 

The rogue AP provides itself an SSID from the PNL after getting this list, fooling the smartphone into thinking it's connected to a known Wi-Fi network. An intruder can spy on network traffic to acquire sensitive data after the targeted smartphone connects. This sort of attack is difficult to detect without continually monitoring the Wi-Fi indicator in the status bar. 

Bluetooth exploits: Instead of relying on constraints inherent in the protocol's standard operating procedures, attackers use particular weaknesses inside the protocol or its implementation to carry out an attack. Bluetooth is a very lengthy and complicated standard, which means there are more possibilities for flaws to arise in the protocol's code as well as for developers to make mistakes in their implementations. 

BlueBorne is a strong example of the damage that a Bluetooth-based assault may do. The BlueBorne vulnerabilities, first disclosed in 2017 and mainly fixed since then, are an attack vector that allows attackers to gain total control of a target device without having to pair with it or even having the device in discoverable mode. Bluetooth has enhanced privileges on nearly all operating systems, with components ranging from the hardware level to the application level, allowing for such control. 

Lastly, NFC is a technology that allows for payment between a smartphone and a retailer's terminal. Due to its limited range (approximately a mile), and fewer use cases, NFC attacks are possible. A malicious NFC tag on an Android device, for example, might immediately launch a malicious site in the user's browser if the device is unlocked. Weaponizing a malicious tag on iOS demands some social engineering, as a popup notifies the user that the tag wants to open a certain app; for example, in a transit station, the tag may request that the user open the most recent train timetable in their browser. 

Techniques to minimize risks: 

Although radio-based assaults on smartphones are frequently undetectable to the user and fall beyond the realm of most mobile security solutions, there are a few steps a user can take to protect their smartphone and data. 

Turning off radios (especially Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) while not in use or when in public is the most effective. If the smartphone permits it, disable 2G functionality to reduce the danger of IMSI catchers. Turn off auto-join for hotspots on Wi-Fi. Install security updates for Bluetooth as soon as they become available to ensure that any known Bluetooth flaws are addressed. 

If one often goes through chokepoints or known hostile regions, they should consider investing in a high-end Faraday case to protect against RF assaults (Faraday bags are generally inadequate against strong signals). The radios in smartphones are a crucial component of why these gadgets are so popular. People can escape being easy targets for the evil people with a little bit of knowledge and aggressive resistance against their misuse.
Read more »
Smartphones
Apple Radiofrequency Samsung Smartphones

Apple and Samsung smart phones emits more radiofrequency radiation than allowed


Radiofrequency radiation emitted from popular smartphones like iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S8 is more than double over the legal safety limit set by the US regulators, a Chicago Tribune investigation reveals.

The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates phones emission, cleared the devices for the sale, on its website it states that the device “will never exceed” the maximum allowable exposure limit, which is harmful to humans.

“We take seriously any claims on non-compliance with the RF (radiofrequency) exposure standards and will be obtaining and testing the subject phones for compliance with FCC rules,” agency spokesman Neil Grace said.

The test was sponsored by the Tribune and conducted as per the federal guidelines at an accredited lab.

A year ago, the Tribune set out an important question to explore: Are cellphones as safe as manufacturers and government regulators say?

The Tribune tested 11 cellphones by measuring how much radiofrequency radiations were absorbed by the human body if the device is positioned near to it. Most of the popular smartphones were proved to be hazardous for the human body.

Apple then issued a statement, questioning the Tribune's test results for the iPhone 7s “were inaccurate due to the test setup not being in accordance with procedures necessary to properly assess the iPhone models.”

“All iPhone models, including iPhone 7, are fully certified by the FCC and in every other country where iPhone is sold,” the statement said. “After careful review and subsequent validation of all iPhone models tested in the (Tribune) report, we confirmed we are in compliance and meet all applicable … exposure guidelines and limits.”

The Tribune tested 11 cellphone models by measuring how much radiofrequency radiation was absorbed by a simulated body positioned near the phone. The Federal Communications Commission has set an exposure limit of 1.6 watts per kilogram averaged over one gram of tissue.
Read more »
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)