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Cracking the BlackBerry with a $100 Key
Hit Reply writes "Eweek is running the contents of a Symantec white paper that details how easy it is for a hacker to manipulate BlackBerry applications. Using a developer key that can be purchased by anyone for $100, an attacker can launch e-mail worms, SMS interception and backdoor attacks, and compromise the integrity of contacts, events and to-do items. The white paper has been yanked from Symantec's Web site." From the article: "Signed applications can send e-mail and read incoming e-mail. A malicious application could be used to allow third parties to send messages from the infected BlackBerry and also read all received messages. A malicious application could also use e-mail as a command and control channel to receive instructions to send and receive e-mails; send and receive SMS messages; add, delete and modify contacts and PIM data; read dialed phone numbers; initiate phone calls; and open TCP/IP connections."
I see Symantec is still sensitive to the charge that they create worms, etc, to drum up business for themselves.
Personally it doesn't bother me in the least that a security company is interested in, well, security. Having them actually detail vulnerabilities and produce papers like this would at least be a useful function for them.
Of course, so would producing a worthwhile product that doesn't devour processor cycles, hog system resources, and create system instability upon removal.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
So you can get a signature really cheap. The device owner still has to install the application on their Blackberry.
I can send malicious emails and execute malicious programs in my friend's Linux box with a free "developer key". Just type "su" in the terminal and then enter this "developer key" (absolutely free) and its all yours.
I should mention that yes, indeed, these situations are almost identical. A root password *can* be changed, to whatever you want, even without knowledge of what previous password was, quite easily.
It's amazing! An application installed to your phone can do things!
Why is this even posted like it's some kind of new concept?
If you install an application to your desktop machine, it can do all of those things. Why do you think the phone is any different? If you don't like the idea of malicious software then don't use a smartphone of any variety.
In fact, this should be good news. A person has to go to the extra length of signing their application before it has this access. Of course, on my smartphone an application cannot be installed without my confirmation, regardless of signatures. Is this not the case with the blackberry? If so, shame on you RIM.
I read the script, and I think it would help my character's motivation if he was on fire. -Bender
Right... because Blackberry's target audience consists of high school kids. It's quite fortunate that Blackberry doesn't sell their products to, say, corporate executives or independent businessmen or security officers or financial analysts or government officials.
This is a pretty stupid white paper. The whole point of the key is that you can easily tell which key is being used by the offending applications, and then revoke that key. And it costs the attacker $100 per attack. It's a good system which balances the needs of the network, the users, and developers.
I guess this is as good a place as any to ask - how did RIM ever sell the idea of having all corporate email and web traffic for Blackberries routed through their servers? I mean, it's overhead for most corporations to have the data routed to and from Canada, but it also gives RIM the ability to read all that confidential information - as if they themselves are the exact type of vulnerability this white paper discusses.
I realize that they did it most likely to keep customers locked into paying for service, but the potential for abuse by rogue employees there is huge.
"...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman
First they come up with the hypothetical Mac "virus" that can hypothetically execute code if you manually download it and run it. And now it's the hypothetical BlackBerry malware that will hypothetically execute code if you manually download it and run it.
What an absolutely pathetic attempt at marketing from the once grand antivirus company.
ENDUT! HOCH HECH!
I'm just a beginner bb developer, but I think it's even HARDER than is sounds to write Blackberry worm.
Even if you DO write a program that reads/sends email or connects to the internet.
And then pay the money and SIGN your malicious app--
and then somehow get somebody to INSTALL it..
Well on the BB releases I use - you will also get WARNINGS when you execute the program.
When the program first tries to access your email folder - it will pop up a warning asking you "do you want to allow this program to acesss your email folder?"
First time the application tries to open a TCP/IP connection to the outside world - same thing: "The application is attempting to open a conneciton to X.X.X.X - do you wish to allow it?". You can type "Allow" or "Deny" or "Allow always".
So BE WARNED: A person can a malicous program, that is signed with his name on it (RIM takes your info before they give you the keys), which you MIGHT install and then you MIGHT accidentally give it access to your emails, and address book, and access to internet. If all those things happen - then it would be bad!