Going for Cheap Smartphone Fix at Your Local Repair Shop?

Broke your smartphone’s screen? Going for a cheap fix at your local repair shop? Beware! Hackers can install a malicious chip and steal your data!

Researchers at the University of Negev have uncovered a deadly hack involving people who have broken their smartphone screen. Their research confirms the possibility of inserting a malicious chip while replacing touch screens of smartphones. These chips can be used to compromise users’ smartphones and steal their data.

The researchers simulated attacks on Huawei Nexus 6P and LG G Pad 7.0. They were able to take control of the devices by using a malicious chip embedded into a third-party touch screen.

These malicious chips in the touch screens could then record photos, keyboard input, internal data and even direct users to phishing websites.

Also, since the hack is hardware-based, even an antivirus would not be able to detect the malware and it will survive factory resets and Operating system updates. This means. a smartphone user would be at risk even if he/she has taken all the regular precautions to protect their data.