mobile phone use

The privacy and security of over half a million sim cards could be compromised, thanks to a series of “security flaws” which was uncovered recently.
According to German security expert, Karsten Nohl, a cryptographer, the flaw could potentially enable hackers to send hidden text messages to affected handsets and infect them with a virus – regardless of what operating system the phone runs on.

The findings affect nearly half a billion people worldwide. The flaw could allows hackers to remotely access the phone to send premium rate text messages, steal money and personal information, record calls and even bug owners to track their location.

His findings have been backed up by technology site Ars Technica who revealed that the bug allows hackers to remotely track the spending habits of users, or to commit payment fraud.

According to Nohl, there is no way of telling which phones have been affected by the flaw.

Other potential vulnerabilities discovered by Nohl, mean that unscrupulous individuals or organisations could remotely access cards in order to program them, change phone numbers and settings, and so on.

Nohl told Ars Technica: “Give me any phone number and there is some chance I will, a few minutes later, be able to remotely control this SIM card and even make a copy of it.”

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