Android phones using Qualcomm chip vulnerable to hacks, Check Point says

Smartphones that use a certain Qualcomm Inc. chip and run Alphabet Inc.'s Android operating system have hundreds of vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to spy on users, according to cybersecurity company Check Point Software Technologies on Thursday. The company said it found more than 400 vulnerabilities in Qualcomm's digital signal processor chip that could allow hackers to access video, photos, audio, and microphone data on a target's phone, as well as render the phone inoperable. Check Point said it disclosed the finding to Qualcomm and decided not to publish technical details until mobile vendors had patched the vulnerabilities. "Although Qualcomm has fixed the issue, it's sadly not the end of the story," said Yaniv Balmas, head of cyber research at Check Point. "Hundreds of millions of phone are exposed to this security risk. You can be spied on. You can lose all your data." About 40% of phones on the market, made by Google, Samsung , LG , Xiaomi, OnePlus, and other vendors are affected, Check Point said. Check Point released the report in a blog post Thursday ahead of its presentation at DefCon's 2020 online conference. Read More...