FCC takes initiative to Speed Up Mobile Security Updates

In Brief The Smartphone users are fed up with slow security updates, so two United States federal agencies have launched an official inquiry to know how manufacturers and carriers deal with mobile phone security updates and what they are doing to roll out patches as quickly as possible. The...

Google Plans Monthly Security Updates for Nexus Phones

LAS VEGAS–Google is changing the way that it updates its Nexus Android phones and will now send out monthly over-the-air updates to users. The first update is being pushed out today, and the company said that other Android handset manufacturers are planning to follow suit and provide monthly...

Samsung Flaw Lets Hacker Easily Take Control of Your Galaxy Mobile Remotely

More than 600 Million users of Samsung Galaxy smartphones, including the newly released Galaxy S6, are potentially vulnerable to a software bug that allows hackers to secretly monitor the phone's camera and microphone, read text messages and install malicious apps. The vulnerability is due to a...

Black Hat News Wrap Podcast

Dennis Fisher, Mike Mimoso and Brian Donohue discuss the news from day one of Black Hat, including the Dan Geer keynote, attacks on mobile broadband modems and carriers’ control of mobile phones. Download: Black-Hat-Day-One-Podcast.mp3 Music by Chris Gonsalves...

Metasploit Module Targets Old Android Vulnerability

Android devices prior to version 4.2.1 of the operating system—70 percent of the phones and tablets in circulation—have been vulnerable to a serious and simple remote code execution vulnerability in the Android browser for more than 93 weeks. Metasploit recently added an exploit module that targe...

Proof-of-Concept App Released for Android Jelly Bean Security Bypass Bug

The researchers who discovered a serious vulnerability in Android 4.3 Jelly Bean that enables a malicious app to disable the security locks on a vulnerable device have published a proof-of-concept app that exploits the bug, as well as source code for the app. The vulnerability in question lies in...

Android Vulnerability Bypasses App's Digital Signature

A vulnerability exists in the Android code base that would allow a hacker to modify a legitimate, digitally signed Android application package file APK and not break the app’s cryptographic signature—an action that would normally set off a red flag that something is amiss. Researchers at startup...

LG Android Backup Software Vulnerable to Root Exploit

A vulnerability in backup software installed on some LG Android smartphones could enable an attacker with access to the device to gain root privileges. Sprite Software’s AndroidBackup tool is installed by OEM on a number of LG Optimus, Mach, Lollipop, and Prada devices. The backup tool, in...

Vulnerabilities Continue to Weigh Down Samsung Android Phones

Attackers have long had an affinity for having their way with Android phones, but the hammer seems to have really come down over the last few months when it comes to devices manufactured by Samsung. Independent Italian researcher Roberto Paleari discussed several bugs he recently found in Samsung...

More from the Kaspersky Lab/Threatpost Security Analyst Summit

Chris Soghoian on Wireless Carriers and Android Security Partial Disclosure Leaves Adobe Reader Zero-Day Story in Limbo Wireless Carriers Put on Notice About Providing Regular Android Security Updates How the RSA Attackers Swung and Missed at Lockheed Martin Scenes from SAS 2012 SAS2013 on Twitte...

Chris Soghoian on Wireless Carriers and Android Security

Privacy and security activist Chris Soghoian criticized mobile carriers for their failure to provide regular software updates to Android handsets, leaving users vulnerable for months at a time...

Chris Soghoian on Wireless Carriers and Android Security

youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzoACtJk3sI&hl=enUS&version=3 Chris Soghoian of the ACLU discusses the looming crisis of mobile security caused by the failure of mobile carriers to push Android updates to users at the Kaspersky Lab Security Analyst Summit Monday...

Wireless Carriers Put on Notice About Providing Regular Android Security Updates

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Activist Chris Soghoian, whom in the past has targeted zero-day brokers with his work, has turned his attention toward wireless carriers and their reluctance to provide regular device updates to Android mobile devices. The lack of updates leaves millions of Android users...

New X-Ray Android Security App Scans Devices For Vulnerabilities

Mobile security has become a major concern both for consumers and for enterprises worried about the integrity of their sensitive data. Part of that worry centers on the security of the apps on mobile devices, something that’s largely unknowable in a lot of cases right now. Duo Security today is...

Android mobile internet tethering become undetectable by carriers

Android mobile internet tethering become undetectable by carriers When the idea that your smartphone's data connection would be able to be shared by your laptop with no additional charge, everyone seemed to be on board over the past year, carriers have started up extra costs for this and have...

Researchers Say Carrier IQ Not Logging Texts or Emails, But Has Some Worrisome Capabilities

Security researchers who have investigated the inner workings of the Carrier IQ software and its capabilities say that the application has some powerful, and potentially worrisome capabilities, but that as it’s currently deployed by carriers it doesn’t have the ability to record SMS messages, pho...

Demo of the Carrier IQ Agent on Android

Security researcher Trevor Eckhart discovered that many Android devices come pre-loaded with a piece of software made by Carrier IQ. In this video, he demonstrates how the software works and what it’s capable of monitoring. It’s since been revealed that versions of the app may have been on other...

RIM Security Warns of Wireless DDoS Attacks

Hackers could one day turn ordinary smart phones into “rogue” devices to attack major wireless networks, Research In Motion’s security chief warned. Scott Totzke, RIM’s vice-president of BlackBerry security, said hackers could use smart phones to target wireless carriers using a technique similar...