Google is warning owners of certain Samsung, Vivo, and Pixel phones that malicious actors could compromise their devices without detection by using basic phone numbers. The cybersecurity team, Project Zero, at Google has identified 18 potential exploits that could be used to hack into select phones with Samsung’s Exynos modems.
These exploits are so severe that they require immediate attention as they should be treated as zero-day vulnerabilities. In four of these exploits, attackers can gain access to the data flowing in and out of a device’s modem, such as phone calls and text messages, by only knowing the correct phone number.
Samsung has acknowledged the vulnerabilities and announced that it launched security updates for devices that might be affected. The company advises owners to update their devices to the latest software to ensure their safety.
According to a statement from Samsung to CNET, certain Galaxy devices might be impacted by 6 vulnerabilities, none of which are classified as ‘severe’. Samsung has already released security patches for 5 of these vulnerabilities in March, and it will address the remaining vulnerability with another security patch in April.
Story credits
