Ralf-Philipp Weinmann of the University of Luxembourg discovered that hackers can infiltrate your phone through the airwaves themselves, completely bypassing your operating system and antivirus software to hack directly into the radio processor. This aerial attack requires a special box that acts like a cellphone tower and tricks your phone into thinking it's connecting to a real network.
Android Wear tips and tricks: The hidden smartwatch secrets
Once the connection is made, the infection juice starts a-flowing, giving the hackers access to everything that the radio processor controls. And since this processor is in charge of handling phone calls, that means the hackers now have your dialer and your microphone -- and on some phone models, possibly your camera, too. Weinmann presented his technique at the Black Hat conference in presumably while wearing an Abe Lincoln-style stovepipe , demonstrating how a phony cell tower can remotely and silently "answer" your phone and broadcast any conversations within earshot to prying ears.
Yes, kind of a crude version of what Batman was using in The Dark Knight.
29 Incredible Android Hacks You’ve Probably Never Heard
But you don't have to be as rich as Bruce Wayne to wield this kind of power: Yes, it's the actual Dark Knight device -- one that generates a complete 3D image of the inside of any building. Disguised as a harmless camera app, PlaceRaider secretly snaps random pictures as you go about your day.
The pics are then shipped off to a central server to be analyzed and compiled into a detailed model of your home, office, or terrorist stronghold. So it's also kind of like that scene in Iron Man 3 where Tony Stark uses a bunch of images from a suicide bombing to recreate a 3D view of the crime scene, the only difference being that In fact, Iron Man's fictional technology falls a little behind the curve this time, considering that PlaceRaider developed by the U.
The test runs were a smashing success , by the way: PlaceRaider was put in the hands of unsuspecting phone users in an office setting, and in addition to rendering a detailed view of the environment, the resulting images captured computer screenshots, account numbers on checks, and random loose documents. The idea is that the malware could be embedded in a camera app like Instagram so that it wouldn't raise any red flags when the app asks for permission to access your camera. Then, in practically no time at all, a burglar's virtually strolling through your home -- browsing through your family photos, scanning your wall calendar with "VACATION" scrawled across it in red Sharpie, jotting down the exact locations of your valuables, even seeing close-up detail of what the keys in your pocket look like Wait, we may have just stumbled across the biggest weakness of PlaceRaider: Seeing as how most smartphones spend the majority of the day buried deep inside their owners' pants, the ne'er-do-well on the receiving end would likely end up sifting through piles of detailed 3D renderings of pocket lint and crotch bulges.
Maybe we're panicking a bit prematurely on this one.
29 Incredible Android Hacks You've Probably Never Heard
Yee convinced Cracked to run his articles by hacking their brains with his smartphone. Right now he's hacking you into checking out his daily fortune cookie and buying his original T-shirts. Maybe you've never heard of these sequels because they're wacky as heck. The Universe is trying to make up for our shortcomings with some very stupid boons to our health. Don't make me do this again. Don't have an account? Please enter a Username. I agree to the Terms of Service.
2. Create GIFs from YouTube videos
Add me to the weekly newsletter. T he latest generation of smartphones comes with a panoply of apps to get you started, from email and photography to navigation, weather and video-calling services. But every one of those default apps has at least one alternative on the app stores , and there are often dozens more that can represent a big upgrade. Urban travellers swear by Citymapper, which works for London, Manchester and Birmingham in the UK, as well as other cities around the world. The seemingly endless number of passwords needed to sign into your digital apps and services is dizzying, which makes password security a priority.
The company swiftly rectified the omission, but many women have turned instead to third-party apps like Clue. But on mobile, the revamped Outlook app has been a critical hit: Each iteration of Android and iOS brings faster, better photographic software to go with the more powerful cameras of new smartphones. But alternative apps are big business, with VSCO one of the best: It draws on 90m drivers for live traffic data, and has good features to plan your journeys, including leaving at the right time. Apple has Pages and Google has Google Docs, but Quip is a powerful third-party documents app with an emphasis on collaboration.
1. Keep up to date – and don’t open up holes yourself
It backs up an unlimited number of photos and videos in the cloud, offers simple but useful editing features, and creates albums for you around specific events, with excellent search features to mine your catalogue of images. To-do lists is one of those categories where people tend to have strong views on their favourites: Or asks to borrow it to check a website, then bolts off down the street?
Apple Watch and Android Wear devices can warn you immediately if they lose Bluetooth contact with your phone. The device will normally be less than 50 metres away when the connection drops, so the warning gives you a chance to ring the phone right away, hopefully drawing attention to the thief and prompting them to jettison it.
What you can do is supplement your on-device security measures with an online service. It alerts you to suspicious activity, such as logins from unfamiliar places, giving you a chance to step in and change your credentials before serious harm can be done. Be careful of what you install When you install a smartphone app, you may be asked to grant it various permissions, including the ability to read your files, access your camera or listen in to your microphone. Make it hard for intruders to get in If a thief gets physical access to your phone, they can cause all sorts of trouble.
Be prepared to track and lock your phone Plan ahead, so even if your phone is stolen, you know your data is safe. Topics Smartphones The Observer. Mobile phones Data and computer security Hacking Android Software features. Order by newest oldest recommendations.
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