Cyber-security researchers on Thursday reported a critical security vulnerability in Unisoc’s smartphone chip being used for cellular communications in 11 percent of the world’s smartphones.
Left unchecked, an attacker could exploit a vulnerability to neutralize or block cellular communications, according to Check Point Research, a cyber-security firm.
UNISOC, formerly Spreadtrum Communications, is a Chinese fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Shanghai, which produces chipsets for mobile phones. The company has released a patch to mitigate the vulnerability.
The team found the vulnerability in the modem firmware, not the Android OS, that affects 4G and 5G Unisoc chipsets being used in several known brands in Africa and Asia. “Google will publish the patch in an upcoming Android security bulletin,” says Check Point Research.
CPR disclosed its findings to UNISOC, which gave the vulnerability a score of 9.4 out of 10 (significant). Research first reverse-engineered a UNISOC modem and was screened for vulnerabilities. A hacker or a military unit can take advantage of such a vulnerability to neutralize communications at a specific location.
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“An attacker could have used a radio station to send a malformed packet that would reset the modem, denying the user the possibility of communication. Slav Makaviev, reverse engineering and security research attorney at Check Point Software,” said Left untouched, cellular communication can be intercepted by an attacker.”
“Nothing for Android users right now, although we strongly recommend implementing the patch that will be released by Google in their upcoming Android security bulletin,” Makaviev said.
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