Security researchers warn for achilles ‘ heel in Android

Binder, an important system process in Android, it is an achilles ‘ heel for the security. Warn security researchers from Check Point. All communication between processes, often unencrypted, are transmitted through the Binder.

“It’s overwhelming how many applications of highly sensitive data unencrypted exchange with the Binder”, according to security researchers Nitay Artenstein and Idan Revivo on the European edition of the Black Hat security conference in Amsterdam. Below are more bank applications. An attacker would, therefore, be under the more money in the city by transfer to manipulate. Also sms text messages with verification codes, which are ING, for example, used for transfers, could be hijacked.

This would require an attacker to have root access to the system should have, but Artenstein and Revivo warn that, especially for older Android versions, many vulnerabilities are known that could allow an attacker root access could get. “Root is nowadays no more a problem on an Android device,” said the researchers.

The Binder is a system process that by the developers of Android in the life is called as the intermediate layer for communication between apps. Also with system processes via Binder communicated. If an app, for example, the camera wants to appeal, he must through the Binder at the CameraManager a request, which, in turn, the kernel easily relate to.

In practice, the data that appears within the app, exchanged via the Binder. “As an app to a new screen opens, the data via Binder exchanged with the ActivityManager”, explain the security researchers.

The researchers suggest developers to data with Binder, being exchanged to encrypt. Also an app that sensitive data is processed better a own keyboard implement, in order to avoid that via Binder, a keyboard must be invoked.

For that matter, that an attacker who has already root access has not prevented other attacks. Artenstein and Revivo emphasize, however, that the major role of Binder in Android is underexposed. “We hope that our research developers to encourage data via Binder is exchanged to encrypt.”

Comments
(155)