Saturday, October 13, 2012

Android Smartphones at risk to remote wipe hack


Do not get so reluctant about your phone’s safety, those Android phones are vulnerable and are at much risk with wipe hack. It has been reported that a number of SAMSUNG and HTC smartphones are susceptible to software hack automatically turning on factory-reset. All your stored information will be wiped out, that include your messages, contact details, photos and replaceable apps in your phone. 

Android Smartphones at risk to remote wipe hack
Beware of the site you're visiting

 

A security hole in the dialler’s software in some Android variants makes a weak spot which gives access to hacking. This flaw allows the “tel:” URL prefix to be used on a webpage which then execute functions on the dialling software of the phone. What it usually does is to initiate a call on the phone straight from a site. Besides this, the tel: URl prefix is also used to relay a non-numeric data to the dialler.These strings of characters have also the ability to display the IMEI number of a phone just by keying in #06# on the phone’s dialler.

The code is patterned to the form a link. This is a sly way of compelling innocent users to activate it. And a simple click is all it takes to initiate the wipe-out. As soon as the wipe-out is set off, it can no longer be stopped or undone. What is disconcerting is, you will be given prior warning just so you can slide off from it. And to add up, is the possibility of having the phone’s SIM card ruined by the hackers.

A line of Samsung models are reportedly susceptible to the wipe-out. The devices in the list run versions of Android which include the Galaxy Beam, S Advance, Galaxy Ace and Galaxy SII. It has also been found out that some HTC phone can be affected with the wipe, the HTC One X and HTC Desire as marked. Report says that Samsung Galaxy SIII loophole has been patched up for some time, while SII is also on its way to being impervious to the wipe-out.

Since not all of the smartphones available in the market are for certain immune resistant with malwares, what we can do best is to take a few precautions. Do not open dubious websites; go for those you surely trust. Smartphones users must back up their phone as necessary. We can never know for certain what vulnerabilities we will encounter with our devices, so better be cautious early so as not to be in unlikely situations.

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