Smartphones vulnerable to SMS attacks

31 July 2009

iPhone, Windows Mobile and Google devices most at risk

Two software experts have told a conference in Las Vegas that smartphones are becoming increasingly at risk of being hacked into via text message. Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner told the Black Hat conference that a software code that arrives via text could easily gain access to a range of applications on the phone, including the address book and camera. The team themselves demonstrated how easy it is by developing their own malicious software and targeting the iPhone on four networks in Germany as well as AT&T in the US. The pair hopes that by discussing the situation, manufacturers and operators will be more willing to discuss how to prevent future attacks.

Miller and Mulliner have highlighted the iPhone, Windows Mobile and Google devices as being those most at threat, though Google is said to have addressed the problem concerning their Android phones, such as the new HTC Hero.

To read the full story from the BBC, click here.