{"id":3193,"date":"2025-05-15T09:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T09:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=3193"},"modified":"2025-05-15T09:01:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T09:01:00","slug":"how-phones-get-hacked-7-common-attack-methods-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=3193","title":{"rendered":"How phones get hacked: 7 common attack methods explained"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The smartphone revolution was supposed to provide a second chance for the tech industry to roll out a secure computing platform. These new devices were purported to be locked down and immune to\u00a0malware<\/a>, unlike buggy PCs and vulnerable servers.<\/p>\n

But it turns out that phones are still computing devices and their users are still people, both of which will always be weak links. We spoke to security experts to better understand the most common ways attackers might go about breaking into the powerful computers in your users\u2019 pockets. Here\u2019s what we found.<\/p>\n

7 ways to hack a phone<\/h2>\n

Zero-click spyware<\/p>\n

Social engineering<\/p>\n

Malvertising<\/p>\n

Smishing<\/p>\n

Fake apps<\/p>\n

Pretexting<\/p>\n

Physical access<\/p>\n

Zero-click spyware<\/h3>\n

The scariest and most sophisticated attacks on smartphones are zero-click attacks, because they don\u2019t require obvious user intervention to succeed. Roger Grimes<\/a>, data-driven defense evangelist at KnowBe4, explained how commercial surveillance vendors (CSVs) weaponize these exploits.<\/p>\n

CSVs \u2014 sometimes called commercial spyware vendors<\/a> \u2014 are criminal organizations that sell malware and exploits to the highest bidder. \u201cCSVs are responsible for the vast majority of zero days<\/a> that we find today, especially on cellphones,\u201d Grimes says. \u201cIn 2023, zero days were used more than non-zero days to exploit people.\u201d The most dangerous variants require no user interaction: \u201cThe victim does nothing,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe zero day launches without any end-user contact, or the user simply needs to read a message, open an email, open an attachment, or click on a link.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grimes emphasized that many exploits are as simple as sending a background push message or a WhatsApp text \u2014 \u201cwhether the user even sees it isn\u2019t important.\u201d He adds: \u201cWith zero-click attacks, you get almost 100% of the victims you are able to contact.\u201d These attacks are often sold for six- or seven-figure sums to commercial vendors or nation-states. \u201cIt is rumored that sufficiently capable nation-states, like the US, have thousands of zero-click attacks \u2026 and use them when they need them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grimes noted that many of these attacks rely on long-established techniques such as buffer overflows<\/a>. \u201cA buffer overflow allows the malicious code to redirect the execution of the legitimate handling program into executing the malicious code,\u201d Grimes explains. \u201cYou didn\u2019t need to open the message or interact with it \u2014 just receiving it could trigger the exploit.\u201d He pointed out that while most modern exploits require user interaction, \u201cprobably 15% of exploits simply \u2018hit\u2019 the underlying service or app and the exploit just launches.\u201d<\/p>\n

David Redekop, CEO at ADAMnetworks, emphasized that while zero-click exploits pose a serious and ongoing threat to high-value targets, \u201cit just isn\u2019t for the masses,\u201d he says. Ordinary users face a host of lower-tech attacks \u2014 but in many cases they can be just as dangerous.<\/p>\n

Social engineering<\/h3>\n

The easiest way for any hacker to break into any device is for the user to open the door themselves. Making that happen is easier said than done, of course, but it\u2019s the goal of most social engineering<\/a>\u00a0attacks.<\/p>\n

Smartphone operating systems generally have stricter security regimes than PCs or servers, with application code running in a sandboxed mode that prevents it from escalating privileges and taking over the device. But that much vaunted security model, in which mobile users need to take affirmative action for code to access protected areas of the phone\u2019s operating system or storage, has a drawback: It results in an abundance of pop-up messages that many of us learn to tune out.<\/p>\n

\u201cApplications on mobile devices segregate permissions in order to protect the user from rogue apps having a free for all with your data,\u201d says Catalino Vega III, security analyst at Kuma. \u201cThe prompt becomes familiar: \u2018Do you want to allow this application access to your photos?\u2019 Because of the way the user experience has conditioned the acceptance of most prompts as a gate to accessing functionality, most users will just allow the app access to whatever it is requesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joshua McKenty, CEO and co-founder of Polyguard, says that new technical tools wielded by organized groups are driving a resurgence in social engineering attacks, such as \u201cvarious forms of phishing and social engineering now supercharged by AI,\u201d he says. \u201cThis includes deepfakes, hyper-personalized email, and text scams that take advantage of identity data from breaches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malvertising<\/h3>\n

One traditional mechanism for spawning those deceptive dialog boxes are so-called \u201cmalvertisements<\/a>,\u201d which piggyback onto the infrastructure developed for the mobile advertising ecosystem, whether in a browser or within an app.<\/p>\n

Khadem Badiyan, CTO and co-founder of Polyguard, calls this a classic that\u2019s dying off. \u201cMalvertising has become far less effective due to advancements in browser sandboxing, stricter app store policies, and the general shift toward app-centric mobile use over traditional web browsing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

But ADAMnetworks\u2019 Redekop believes that malvertising still occupies an important niche in the cybercrime ecosystem. \u201cConsidering that Google reports regularly the number of domains removed via their TAG bulletins and that third parties report that Google blocked 5.1B harmful ads and suspended 39.2M advertiser accounts in 2024<\/a>, it is clear that the malvertising problem is far from out of date,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Smishing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another vector attackers use to get tappable links in front of their victims is SMS text messaging, with a practice known as SMS phishing or\u00a0smishing<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are multiple ways cybercriminals can use SMS phishing, depending on their intention and goal,\u201d says Rasmus Holst, CRO of Wire. \u201cIf the objective is to install malware onto a device, then a file is usually attached, accompanied by a message that tries to persuade the user to click and download it. For example, cybercriminals can impersonate someone trusted, such as an employer or manager asking an employee to review the attached document, laying a trap for a busy and unsuspecting victim.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smishing is a tried-and-true hacker technique, but today, says Polyguard\u2019s McKenty, \u201cthe challenge is to make links \u2018clickable.\u2019 Over the past few months, we\u2019ve seen exploits of a number of vulnerabilities in Apple\u2019s SMS link defenses. This includes funneling malicious links through trusted domains like Google (using the AMP and Google Sites vulnerabilities), taking advantage of exceptions for \u2018basic auth-protected\u2019 URLs by using empty credentials in the rarely used user:pass@host format, and even an apparent parsing vulnerability around empty subdomains.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fake apps<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another social engineering trick to convince people to infect their phones with malware is convincing them to download an app they think they want but is malicious. McKenty notes that \u201ctoys and games that have access to the camera, microphone, or location\u201d are particularly potent versions of these apps.<\/p>\n

Because mobile phones have a sandboxed model that isolates application code from the OS, these types of apps used to specifically target \u201cjailbroken<\/a>\u201d iPhones, which users had modified to install apps that didn\u2019t meet Apple\u2019s standards. But those days are largely behind us, according to Rocky Cole, who spent years at the NSA and is now co-founder and COO of mobile security company iVerify.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to mobile phone hacking of iOS, the word \u2018jailbreak\u2019 doesn\u2019t have much meaning anymore,\u201d he says. \u201cWe haven\u2019t seen a jailbreak associated with an iOS exploit in years. Actual hacks of iOS are sophisticated, and usually the purview of state actors and commercial spyware vendors. For Androids, most \u2018hacks\u2019 involve somehow loading a malicious app, either by sneaking it into one of the app stores, convincing the user to sideload it, or somehow getting it to run in a more sophisticated way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pretexting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If the user won\u2019t give up control of their device willingly, an attacker can go over their head to their mobile provider. You might remember the mid-2000s British media scandal in which tabloids used what they called \u201cblagging\u201d techniques to access the mobile voicemail boxes of celebrities and crime victims. This process, also known as\u00a0pretexting<\/a>, involves an attacker piecing together enough personal information about their victim to impersonate them in communications with their phone provider and thus gain access to the victim\u2019s account.<\/p>\n

The tabloids were just after scoops, but criminals can use the same techniques to do more damage. \u201cIf successfully verified, the attacker convinces the phone carrier to transfer the victim\u2019s phone number to a device they possess, in what\u2019s known as a\u00a0SIM swap,<\/em>\u201d says Adam Kohnke, information security manager at the Infosec Institute. \u201cCalls, texts, and access codes \u2014 like the\u00a0second-factor authentication codes<\/a>\u00a0your bank or financial providers send to your phone via SMS \u2014 now go to the attacker and not you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaining physical access to your phone<\/h3>\n

One of the most obvious \u2014 but overlooked \u2014 ways to install malware on someone\u2019s phone is to do it manually, once you gain physical access to their device. This is of particular importance in domestic violence or stalking scenarios, but it is used for corporate espionage as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen someone has physical access to a device, the risk landscape changes significantly,\u201d says Polygaurd\u2019s Badiyan. \u201cTools like FlexiSPY, mSpy, or Xnspy can be installed quickly and run silently, capturing text messages, call logs, GPS location, and even activating microphones or cameras without user awareness. For corporate espionage, malicious configuration profiles (especially on iOS) or sideloaded APKs (on Android) can be deployed to reroute data, manipulate network traffic, or introduce persistent backdoors. There are also hardware-based threats: malicious charging cables, keyloggers, or implanted devices that can exfiltrate data or inject malware. However, these tend to be less common outside of high-value targets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Badiyan says that biometric defenses can be bypassed if someone with access to your phone knows your PIN. \u201cIf an attacker unlocks your device with your passcode, they can add their own fingerprint or facial scan, creating lasting access without leaving visible traces,\u201d he says. \u201cMitigation comes down to strong device passcodes, biometric controls, disabling USB accessories when locked, and auditing installed profiles and device management settings regularly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi hacks have fallen out of favor<\/h3>\n

Two once-common means of gaining access to phones and their data \u2014 Bluetooth and Wi-Fi \u2014 have largely been secured, according to the security experts we spoke to.\n<\/p>\n

ADAMnetworks CEO David Redekop lists a number of factors that have closed off Wi-Fi as an attack vector: \u201cPublic users on legacy Wi-Fi networks are more and more VPN-literate and simply protect themselves with a VPN; common big-brand Wi-Fi hosts are implementing modern-day hardware that closes vulnerabilities; and, since Edward Snowden, more and more of our public websites and services are encrypted such that even a Wi-Fi MiTM (miscreant-in-the-middle) is unable to get much useful information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Polyguard CEO Joshua McKenty adds, \u201cBluetooth-based exploits like BlueBorne, which relied on vulnerabilities in Bluetooth stacks, have also diminished. Regular patching and tightened permissions across mobile operating systems have closed off most of those avenues.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve broken in. Now what?<\/h2>\n

Once an attacker has used one of the techniques above to gain a foothold, what\u2019s their next step?<\/p>\n

While smartphone OSes are ultimately derived from Unix-like systems, an attacker who\u2019s managed to force a breach will find themselves in a very different environment from a PC or server, says Callum Duncan, director at Sencode Cybersecurity.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost apps interface with the operating system and other applications on what are essentially API calls,\u201d he says. \u201cThe kernels for iOS and Android are so vastly different from anything that would resemble their Unix base that shared exploits would be almost impossible. Command lines do exist for both devices but are only accessible by the highest level of privilege for both devices and can usually only be accessed but rooting or jailbreaking the device.\u201d<\/p>\n

But just because it\u2019s hard doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s impossible. \u201cExploits of that type do exist,\u201d Duncan says. \u201cPrivilege escalation would be key to this process and working around in-built safety mechanisms would be hard, but any attacker with the ability to run code on a user\u2019s device is doing just that \u2014 running code on a user\u2019s device \u2014 so if they\u2019re smart enough they could make that device do whatever they please. State-sponsored groups like the NSO group<\/a> have built entire business models using these techniques to spy on people for governments and high-profile individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caitlin Johanson, director of the Application Security Center of Excellence at Coalfire, says that a surprising amount of sensitive data is accessible to attackers who gain a foothold on a device.<\/p>\n

\u201cData stores such as SQLite get created by installed apps and could contain everything from web request and response content to potentially sensitive information and cookies,\u201d she says. \u201cCommon weaknesses observed in both iOS and Android include caching application data within memory (such as authentication credentials), as well as persistence of thumbnails or snapshots of the running application, which could inadvertently store sensitive information to the device. Sensitive information \u2014 most often left unencrypted \u2014 is found in abundance within browser cookie values, crash files, preference files, and web cache content created in easy-to-read formats stored right on the device.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very tools created for development purposes are what makes it easier for an attacker to extract, interact with, or even modify this kind of data, such as abd on Android or iExplorer or plutil on iOS,\u201d she continues. \u201cStandard utilities can be used for the examination of any database files copied from the device, and if we run into the need to decrypt, there\u2019s tools like Frida to run scripts to decrypt stored values.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thick as thieves<\/h2>\n

None of this is easy. Most users don\u2019t click smishing links or give enhanced privileges to dodgy applications. Even when hackers gain a foothold on a device, they\u2019re often stymied by built-in security measures on the phones they\u2019ve hacked.<\/p>\n

But attackers do have one thing in their favor: sheer determination. \u201cAttackers create highly repeatable and automated models that pick and pry at every angle of a mobile app or a new operating system version in hope of finding a weak point,\u201d explains Hank Schless, director of product marketing at Lookout. \u201cOnce they find an exploitable weakness, they try to use it to their advantage as quickly as possible before a fix is released.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest vulnerability out there is human complacency: Despite more than a decade of evidence to the contrary, many people assume smartphones are secure, falling into a different bucket from the rest of infosec. \u201cWhat\u2019s remained pervasive is the idea that somehow phones are not traditional endpoints, and with rare exception, they aren\u2019t incorporated into the body of standards and practices for other devices such as desktops,\u201d says iVerify\u2019s Cole. \u201cWe\u2019re past the point where mobile security should be a niche topic or a home-brew solution. They need to be included in any comprehensive endpoint detection and response<\/a> strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can I tell if I\u2019ve been hacked?<\/h3>\n

Worried that your phone has been hacked? Two of the experts we spoke to suggested looking out for these red flags:<\/p>\n

David Redekop, CEO at ADAMnetworks:<\/p>\n

Be wary if a phone has apps installed that you didn\u2019t request.
\nIf an app is installed that has simplistic features, it could be offering one useful function while secretly performing another.
\nBeware of any apps that have permissions that aren\u2019t absolutely required. For example, geolocation is not generally required except for maps.<\/p>\n

Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy:<\/p>\n

Has your device suddenly started using more data than normal, regularly bumping up against your monthly data limit, yet you haven\u2019t changed your online habits? That could be spyware phoning home or doing the work of bad actors.
\nIf your smartphone begins rebooting for seemingly no reason, someone could have installed malware or spyware on your device.
\nBack in the day of analog phone lines, we were used to noise in the background like buzzing or other voices leaking onto our calls. However, today\u2019s digital phone networks have all but eradicated such noises. If you\u2019re hearing other voices or unknown sounds, someone could be spying on your calls.
\nWhile seeing your device\u2019s battery life deteriorating over the years is simply part of having a smartphone, a sudden drop in battery life could mean spyware or malware is making your device work overtime, running processes in the background. The harder your phone must work, the shorter its battery life. You may experience this alongside increased data usage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The smartphone revolution was supposed to provide a second chance for the tech industry to roll out a secure computing platform. These new devices were purported to be locked down and immune to\u00a0malware, unlike buggy PCs and vulnerable servers. But it turns out that phones are still computing devices and their users are still people, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3193"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}