ID: IRCNE2013081913
Date: 2013-08-06
According to "zdnet", a bug that could have allowed hackers to exploit a vulnerability in millions of SIM cards, commonly used in mobile phones and other cellular equipment, has been fixed, according to the security researcher who first discovered the flaw.
Germany-based Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs discovered the flaw after three years of investigative research into SIM card technologies.
He discovered that a vulnerability existed where a Java flaw could be exploited by sending a specially-crafted over-the-air (OTA) cryptographically secured text message. SIM cards can contain phone numbers, contact information, and other personally identifiable information to the phone owner.
SIM cards are considered one of the safest technologies around, with almost no exploits publicly available known.
He was scheduled to show off his findings at the Black Hat security conference on Tuesday (ZDNet's Violet Blue is on the scene and has more on the event), but instead he disclosed that carriers and cellular networks had in fact promptly fixed the bug.
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