7 ms·

Simjacker: SIM card flaw lets hackers hijack any phone by sending SMS

70 points by ohashi 7y ago

java-man 7y ago
Previous [lack of] discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20959313 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20959313
dang 7y ago
Url changed from https://thehackernews.com/2019/09/simjacker-mobile-hacking.html https://thehackernews.com/2019/09/simjacker-mobile-hacking.h..., which points to this.
aroch 7y ago
This is for the exploit release is probably more helpful: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20951578 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20951578
- dang 7y ago
  Ah, that's the same submission, which makes this one a dupe. Thanks!
  - ohashi 7y ago
    I tried to search for it beforehand and didn't find anything.
    - dang 7y ago
      Not to worry. That happens sometimes.
derefr 7y ago
Does this affect Apple's eSIMs?
jlv2 7y ago
But they've got an awesome animated logo, so it must be serious.
9HZZRfNlpR 7y ago
Does anyone have additional information or leads about the private company they suspect being behind it?
- atdt 7y ago
  Five bucks says it's an Israeli company. The IDF's Unit 8200 is basically a Y Combinator for spyware start-ups at this point.
- TACIXAT 7y ago
  Likely candidate is NSO [1]. 1. https://www.nsogroup.com/ https://www.nsogroup.com/
tzs 7y ago
It looks like most phones on US carriers are safe from this. According to T-Mobile and Sprint, their SIMs do not contain the S@T Browser. AT&T says the same for their US SIMs. Verizon doesn't seem to have issued a definitive statement, but say that they believe their SIMs are not affected. See [1], [2]. [1] https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/09/hackers-are-exploiting-a-platform-agnostic-flaw-to-track-mobile-phone-locations/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/09/hacke... [2] https://www.pcmag.com/news/370736/sim-card-flaw-poses-spying-threat-but-us-users-appear-to-be https://www.pcmag.com/news/370736/sim-card-flaw-poses-spying...
TwoBit 7y ago
This article is effectively claiming that SIM card hardware has a back door built in.
- gaspoweredcat 7y ago
  i believe it is and it may well be right for the most part although likely with a caveat or two, id wager it cant do much else than report certain info back and it would rely on the sms app having location data permissions (admittedly most will have agreed to this) ive been hearing rumours of something like this coming out of russia where its referred to as "pelengator" (searching will reveal little other than a vehicle tracking app, ive heard about it from various gsm forums and chats etc but wasnt convinced it was real)
test99 7y ago
This is scary attack.

70 points by ohashi 7y ago

Previous [lack of] discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20959313 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20959313

dang 7y ago

Url changed from https://thehackernews.com/2019/09/simjacker-mobile-hacking.html https://thehackernews.com/2019/09/simjacker-mobile-hacking.h..., which points to this.

aroch 7y ago

This is for the exploit release is probably more helpful: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20951578 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20951578

dang 7y ago
Ah, that's the same submission, which makes this one a dupe. Thanks!
- ohashi 7y ago
  I tried to search for it beforehand and didn't find anything.
  - dang 7y ago
    Not to worry. That happens sometimes.

derefr 7y ago

Does this affect Apple's eSIMs?

jlv2 7y ago

But they've got an awesome animated logo, so it must be serious.

9HZZRfNlpR 7y ago

Does anyone have additional information or leads about the private company they suspect being behind it?

atdt 7y ago
Five bucks says it's an Israeli company. The IDF's Unit 8200 is basically a Y Combinator for spyware start-ups at this point.
TACIXAT 7y ago
Likely candidate is NSO [1]. 1. https://www.nsogroup.com/ https://www.nsogroup.com/

tzs 7y ago

It looks like most phones on US carriers are safe from this. According to T-Mobile and Sprint, their SIMs do not contain the S@T Browser. AT&T says the same for their US SIMs. Verizon doesn't seem to have issued a definitive statement, but say that they believe their SIMs are not affected. See [1], [2]. [1] https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/09/hackers-are-exploiting-a-platform-agnostic-flaw-to-track-mobile-phone-locations/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/09/hacke... [2] https://www.pcmag.com/news/370736/sim-card-flaw-poses-spying-threat-but-us-users-appear-to-be https://www.pcmag.com/news/370736/sim-card-flaw-poses-spying...

TwoBit 7y ago

This article is effectively claiming that SIM card hardware has a back door built in.

gaspoweredcat 7y ago
i believe it is and it may well be right for the most part although likely with a caveat or two, id wager it cant do much else than report certain info back and it would rely on the sms app having location data permissions (admittedly most will have agreed to this) ive been hearing rumours of something like this coming out of russia where its referred to as "pelengator" (searching will reveal little other than a vehicle tracking app, ive heard about it from various gsm forums and chats etc but wasnt convinced it was real)

test99 7y ago

This is scary attack.