Researchers found a new flaw in Qualcomm’s Mobile Station Modem chip that makes Android devices vulnerable to hacking
A flaw in Qualcomm’s Mobile Station Modem (MSM) chip, used in 30% of all mobile devices worldwide, can be exploited from within Android. Both hackers and researchers are interested in how MSM can be remotely controlled by sending an SMS or a specially designed radio packet that communicates with the device and allows them to take control of it. However, MSM can also be accessed from inside the system, and that’s how Check Point Research decided to approach it (CPR). The Qualcomm real-time OS, which is secured by the TrustZone, manages MSM on an Android computer. Regardless of whether it is a rooted device, it cannot be debugged or dumped, leaving only a vulnerability as the only way to access the MSM code.
