Communications of the ACM
With New Hack, Cellphone Can Get Data Out of Computers
Researchers at Ben Gurion University have determined that a cellphone may be used to engage in air-gap network hacking.
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A cellphone can be used to engage in air-gap network hacking, according to researchers at Ben Gurion University (BGU).
The researchers say a hacker could use an email-phishing attack to get an unsuspecting cellphone user to install the right kind of malware onto their device. Once the cellphone is within one to six meters of a system, a hacker on the other side of the world will be able to remotely access any data they want, and no Internet connection is needed. Once the malware is on the phone, it scans for electromagnetic waves, which can be manipulated to construct a network connection using FM frequencies to install a virus onto a computer or server.
A team led by BGU Cyber Security Lab director and professor Yuval Elovici has demonstrated how the technique is done with computer video cards and monitors.
Elovici considers air-gap network hacking via cellphone to be a major security risk because currently there is little that can be done to prevent it other than turning off a phone. He expects the risk to grow as news of the attack technique spreads among hackers.
From Times of Israel
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