Recent research has revealed an alarming finding: hackers have the ability to track their victims through text messages.
Experts discovered a loophole in the messaging system that allows criminals to monitor the location of users, based only on the victim's cell phone number, as well as network access.
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The study, led by researcher Evangelos Bitsikas, a doctoral student at the renowned Northeastern University, identified this security flaw. Through it, hackers can locate and track victims in different parts of the world.
While there is still no evidence that such a vulnerability is being actively exploited by hackers, it is essential to be aware of the potential danger it poses.
Faced with this worrying situation, the lead researcher decided to share his findings with the GSMA, a global organization that oversees the mobile ecosystem.
This initiative aims to take preventive measures to protect users against possible future attacks.
Privacy protection is critical. That's why it's important to be cautious when sharing personal information and to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity on your phone bill.
(Image: Disclosure)
This alarming flaw was noticed by a team of researchers in the SMS system of cell phones, used since the 1990s.
Through the application of a sophisticated machine learning program, it was found that it is possible to Locate and track people in different locations around the world, just with their cell phone number and internet access. network.
According to experts, despite advances in SMS security over the years, there are still flaws that can be exploited, as revealed by the team led by Bitsikas.
The technique they developed consists of sending multiple text messages to the victim's phone and monitoring the delivery times of automatic reading notifications in order to determine the location exact.
Delivery spaces leave a kind of “fingerprint” of the victim's location, which can be detected through the use of advanced machine learning algorithms.
Importantly, the vulnerability is currently being exploited only on Android operating systems, but there is no evidence that it is being used maliciously.
Faced with this discovery, experts in digital security warn of the importance of not letting the protection in the background.
It is crucial to adopt security measures, such as keeping the mobile operating system always up to date and using safer messaging applications that have end-to-end encryption.