A hacker could use the exploit to send texts, make calls, access social media accounts and direct the phone’s browser to malware sites.
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The iPhone or Android users would notice the attack only if he or she looked at the screen – or after the fact, in case any traces are left.
Hackers have discovered a way to hijack Siri from up to 16 feet away using radio waves.
“The possibility of inducing parasitic signals on the audio front-end of voice-command-capable devices could raise critical security impacts”, the two French researchers, José Lopes Esteves and Chaouki Kasmi, write in a paper published by the IEEE.
“The sky is the limit here”, said Vincent Strubel of ANSSI. In other words, anything that can be done through the voice interface could potentially be done remotely and discreetly through electromagnetic waves. For one thing: Don’t leave headphones with a microphone plugged into your phone, and disable voice control enabled when the phone is locked.
Hackers may have the ability to take over your cellphone.
The researchers were able to mount the attack on a smartphone using a laptop with GNU Radio, a USRP software-defined radio, an amplifier and an antenna.
The large version of the antenna can send the signal from 16 feet away, according to Wired, while a backpack sized version is powerful enough for a hacker to sidle up within six and a half feet.
There’s apparently a silent way Siri and Google Now can take orders from a hacker across the room who wouldn’t even have to utter a word. ABC News reported.Siri on Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch lets you use your voice to send messages, make calls, set reminders, and more.
The researchers also suggested to Apple and Google to improve the shield on their headphone cords, as this would force hackers to use stronger radio signals, making the illegal act more hard.
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The ANSSI researchers say they’ve contacted Apple to share their work and recommend fixes. “To use a phone’s keyboard you need to enter a PIN code”.
