{"id":2825,"date":"2013-07-06T12:30:42","date_gmt":"2013-07-06T16:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=2825"},"modified":"2013-07-06T12:30:42","modified_gmt":"2013-07-06T16:30:42","slug":"android-flaw-leaves-99-of-devices-open-to-attacks-details-to-be-revealed-at-blackhat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/07\/06\/android-flaw-leaves-99-of-devices-open-to-attacks-details-to-be-revealed-at-blackhat\/","title":{"rendered":"Android flaw leaves 99% of devices open to attacks, details to be revealed at BlackHat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.techspot.com\/news\/53133-android-flaw-leaves-99-of-devices-open-to-attacks-details-to-be-revealed-at-blackhat.html\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/2013-07-04_12-43-40.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mobile security company Bluebox claims to have discovered a flaw in Android that could leave any device released in the last four years vulnerable to attacks. The method demonstrated allowed modifying an app\u2019s code without affecting its cryptographic signature, inserting malicious code completely unnoticed, leading to anything from data theft to creating botnets. The implications are huge, the researchers say.<br \/>\nAlthough specifics were left under wraps, the core issue involves discrepancies in how Android applications are verified and installed. As Bluebox explains, all Android apps contain cryptographic signatures to verify their authenticity. But through the use of some sort of \u201cmaster key\u201d, malicious coders are able trick Android into believing an app is unchanged even if its APK code has been modified.<br \/>\nThe vulnerability has reportedly been around since the release of Android 1.6 in 2009 and Google was notified about it in February. But due to the way Android updates work, it\u2019s up to manufacturers to produce and release firmware updates for their specific hardware, and so far only the Galaxy S 4 has been patched.<br \/>\nAs proof of the vulnerability\u2019s existence, Bluebox CTO Jeff Forristal accompanied his blog post with a screenshot from an HTC device that had system-level software information modified to display \u201cBluebox\u201d in the Baseband Version string (a value normally controlled &amp; configured by the system firmware).<br \/>\nTechnical details and related tools will be released at his BlackHat USA 2013 talk by the end of the month.<br \/>\nIt\u2019s worth noting that for all the doom and gloom that Bluebox is spelling &#8212; it appears to be a serious issue after all &#8212; falling prey to hackers would require you to download an actual app that has been modified with malicious code. In other words, it requires user action, and most likely downloading from a non-official source.<br \/>\nvia <a href=\"http:\/\/www.techspot.com\/news\/53133-android-flaw-leaves-99-of-devices-open-to-attacks-details-to-be-revealed-at-blackhat.html\" target=\"_blank\">Android flaw leaves 99% of devices open to attacks, details to be revealed at BlackHat &#8211; TechSpot<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mobile security company Bluebox claims to have discovered a flaw in Android that could leave any device released in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3,7,9,10],"tags":[65,133,455,655],"class_list":["post-2825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hardware","category-security","category-software","category-technology","tag-android","tag-blackhat","tag-hacking","tag-malware"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-Jz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5579,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/05\/13\/linux-gets-fix-for-code-execution-flaw-that-was-undetected-since-2009-ars-technica\/","url_meta":{"origin":2825,"position":0},"title":"Linux gets fix for code-execution flaw that was undetected since 2009","author":"NCCT","date":"May 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Maintainers of the Linux kernel have patched one of the more serious security bugs to be disclosed in the open source operating system in recent months. The five-year-old code-execution hole leaves computers used in shared Web hosting services particularly vulnerable, so users and administrators should make sure systems are running\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Linux&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Linux","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/linux\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/rockhopper_penguin_sick-640x807.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/rockhopper_penguin_sick-640x807.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/rockhopper_penguin_sick-640x807.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6309,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/08\/26\/android-attack-improves-timing-allows-data-theft\/","url_meta":{"origin":2825,"position":1},"title":"Android attack improves timing, allows data theft","author":"NCCT","date":"August 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A malicious application could enable the theft of login credentials, sensitive images, and other data from Android smartphones by making use of a newly discovered information-leakage weakness in the operating system, according to a team of researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of California at Riverside. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Hardware&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6169,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/08\/04\/researchers-uncover-fundamental-usb-security-flaw-no-fix-in-sight\/","url_meta":{"origin":2825,"position":2},"title":"Researchers uncover fundamental USB security flaw, no fix in sight","author":"NCCT","date":"August 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A pair of security researchers from SR Labs have uncovered a fundamental flaw in the way USB devices work. It affects every single USB device out there and worse yet, there's no line of defense short of prohibiting USB stick sharing or filling your USB ports with superglue. The flaw\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Hardware&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3197,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/08\/19\/malware-hijacks-mobile-ad-networks-to-siphon-money\/","url_meta":{"origin":2825,"position":3},"title":"Malware hijacks mobile ad networks to siphon money","author":"NCCT","date":"August 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Asian cybercriminals have figured out an unusual way to use the architecture of a mobile ad network to siphon money from their victims. The new method represents another step in the evolution of mobile malware, which is booming with more smartphones shipping than PCs. Mobile ad networks open up the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Security&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5681,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/06\/03\/meet-cupid-the-heartbleed-attack-that-spawns-evil-wi-fi-networks\/","url_meta":{"origin":2825,"position":4},"title":"Meet \u201cCupid,\u201d the Heartbleed attack that spawns \u201cevil\u201d Wi-Fi networks","author":"NCCT","date":"June 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Enlarge \/ A packet capture showing Cupid attacking a wireless network. SysValue \u00a0 \u00a0 It just got easier to exploit the catastrophic Heartbleed vulnerability against wireless networks and the devices that connect to them thanks to the release last week of open source code that streamlines the process of plucking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Networking&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Networking","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/networking\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/heartbleed_cupid_img1-640x356.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/heartbleed_cupid_img1-640x356.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/heartbleed_cupid_img1-640x356.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5889,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/07\/02\/exclusive-a-review-of-the-blackphone-the-android-for-the-paranoid\/","url_meta":{"origin":2825,"position":5},"title":"Exclusive: A review of the Blackphone, the Android for the paranoid","author":"NCCT","date":"July 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Based on some recent experience, I'm of the opinion that smartphones are about as private as a gas station bathroom. They're full of leaks, prone to surveillance, and what security they do have comes from using really awkward keys. While there are tools available to help improve the security and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Hardware&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/blackphone11-640x426.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/blackphone11-640x426.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/blackphone11-640x426.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2825\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}