Friday, October 30, 2009

PhoneSnoop application bugs BlackBerrys

The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is warning BlackBerry users about a spyware program that allows attackers to turn a target's handset into a microphone that can be accessed remotely.

PhoneSnoop is a free, remote spying application designed for BlackBerry phones. The app works by intercepting phone calls from a predetermined 'trigger' number. When PhoneSnoop detects an incoming call from that number, it accepts the call and turns on the BlackBerry's speaker phone, effectively allowing the caller to listen in on the target's surroundings.

There are some very real limitations of this spying app: For starters, an attacker would need to have physical access to the victim's phone in order to install the app. PhoneSnoop also can't listen in on the victim's phone calls, and it leaves a conspicuous new program icon in the victim's app list.

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Who am I?

I am a law enforcement professional with over 35 years experience in both sworn and civilian positions. I have service in 3 different countries in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

My principal areas of expertise are: (1) Intelligence, (2) Training and Development, (3) Knowledge Management, and (4) Administration/Supervision.

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