Check Point Research (CPR) has identified a critical security vulnerability in the UNISOC smartphone chip, which is responsible for mobile communication in 11% of smartphones worldwide.
If not repaired, an attacker could exploit it to neutralize or block communication. The CPR investigation marks the first time a UNISOC smart chip has been built backwards to test for security flaws.
UNISOC identified the vulnerability and rated it 9,4 / 10 (critical).
The vulnerability is in the modem firmware, not the operating system itself Android, και επηρεάζει τα chipsets UNISOC's 4G and 5G.
Google informs that the vulnerability will be published in the upcoming Android security bulletin.
Research for the first time
The CPR investigation marks the first time the UNISOC modem has been reverse-engineered and probed for vulnerabilities. CPR scanned the NAS message handlers within a short period of time and found a vulnerability, which can be used to disrupt the device's radio communication via a malformed packetU.
A hacker or military unit can exploit such a vulnerability to thwart communications at a particular location.
Responsible disclosure
CPR responsibly disclosed these findings to UNISOC in May 2022, which acknowledged the vulnerability, giving it a score of 9,4 (critical). UNISOC has since issued the repair CVE-2022-20210. Google said the fix will be published in the upcoming Android security bulletin.
Check Point urges mobile phone users to always keep their mobile operating system up to date with the latest software available.
Statement by Slava Makkaveev, Check Point Software's Reverse Engineering & Security Research Department:
"We are the first to perform reverse engineering and investigate the UNISOC modem for vulnerabilities. We found a vulnerability in the UNISOC modem which is integrated in 11% of smartphones. An attacker could use a radio station to send a malicious package that resets the modem, depriving the user of the ability to communicate. If not repaired, mobile communication may be blocked by an attacker. The vulnerability is in the modem firmware, not in Android itself. Android users can not do anything right now, although we strongly recommend that you apply the patch that Google will release to the upcoming Android Security Bulletin.
