Security research firm found serious exploits in Qualcomm chips

Check Point security researchers found a serious threat to everyone using Qualcomm-powered smartphone, which as of 2019 is about 40% of the market. The researchers call the exploits "Achilles".

Check Point found more than 400 lines of code vulnerabilities all in the digital signal processors of Qualcomm's SoCs. Of course, they are keeping most of the details a secret to minimize the risk of someone using the exploits.

The hacker can potentially record calls, steal data, install malicious software that can't be uninstalled and even brick the device. Qualcomm has already started updating the drivers and the low-level code and should soon make it available to vendors, who will then need to push updates fixing the actual phones.

Still, analysts say that it's highly unlikely that anyone has ever used those exploits and that they don't have any records of anyone already done so. As long you download apps from trusted sources like the Google Play store you should be safe.

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