Researchers have warned that more than a billion Android smartphones, including those from the world's leading manufacturers, are vulnerable to an extremely dangerous cyberattack.
A new report from Check Point Research has revealed a security breach that could leave users open to advanced phishing attacks that steal personal information.
The company claims that hundreds of millions of Android phones around the world are threatened by this attack, including devices from Samsung, Huawei, LG and Sony.
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The flaw allowed hackers to steal users' email addresses using spoofed Android SMS messages, tailor-made to intercept all email traffic to and from mobile.
Affected Android phones use OTA provisioning, which allows mobile network operators to implement network-specific settings on a new phone that joins their network.
In this case, the SMS is disguised as an innocent "network settings update" text from the mobile network provider.
The researchers say that anyone connected to a cellular network can be the target of such attacks because the SMS does not require the victim's device to be connected to a Wi-Fi network, and only one message to gain full access to a network. Device emails.
Samsung phones have been found to be the most vulnerable to attack because they are not subject to authenticity verification. The user only has to accept the message so that the malware can be installed without the sender having to prove her identity.
"Given the popularity of Android devices, this is a critical vulnerability that needs to be addressed," said Slava Makkaveev, a security researcher at Check Point Software Technologies.
"Without a strong form of authentication, it's easy for a malicious actor to launch a phishing attack via OTA (Over The Air) provisioning."
Check Point indicates that the flaw was first detected in March 2019 and that the company informed interested manufacturers shortly after.
So far, Samsung and LG have released patches, Huawei is about to release its fix on the next generation of Mate and P-Series smartphones, Sony insisted that its devices are already at the forefront of technology.