Qualcomm confirmed this week that hackers exploited a zero-day bug – a vulnerability that was unknown to the maker when it was abused. The breach was found in dozens of chipsets used in millions of Android smartphones around the world.
The San Diego company also revealed a patch was sent out to OEMs last month and called the attack a “limited, targeted exploitation.”
The vulnerability affected 64 chips made by Qualcomm. These include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, used in flagship devices such as Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, OnePlus 10 Pro, Sony Xperia 1 IV, Oppo Find X5 Pro, Honor Magic4 Pro, Xiaomi 12, and others. The list also includes Snapdragon modems and FastConnect modules, used for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Spokesperson for the company stated that Qualcomm already sent out a patch but it is up to the smartphone makers to release it to their customers. Amnesty International’s Security Lab confirmed a Google Threat Analysis Group assessment that the issue was serious.
The comprehensive research on who is at fault and who might have exploited this vulnerability will be “out soon,” said an Amnesty spokesperson. Investigation from organisations like Google and Amnesty means the hacking campaign may have targeted specific individuals rather than a large group of users.
