CDMA And 4G WiMax Supposedly Hacked At Defcon

A post on the Full Disclosure mailing list claims both CDMA and 4G WiMAX wireless networks were compromised using a man-in-the middle attack at Defcon earlier this week.

Coderman, who posted the information, was a witness to the attack which gained access to Android smartphones and PCs on the local CDMA and 4G cellular network. The hackers started with simple exploits, like looking for devices with superuser access and sending remote notifications that opened a backdoor to the device. They then escalated to more complex techniques until a device was compromised.

The goal of the attack was a mass infiltration of devices and the interception of data packets and conversations on commercial licensed bands. According to Coderman, this goal was achieved.

There’s lot of speculation about how this hack was pulled off, but the group behind it has not released any details. Until someone comes forward with more informaton, we can’t assess the seriousness of this attack, nor speculate whether it would work outside the conference. You have to admit Defcon, with lots of talented hackers and mobile connections together in one location, is an ideal place to mount such an assault. [Full Disclosure via SlashDot and Reddit; Shutterstock/Bart_J]


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