Modern smartphone technology is highly secure. However, it still isn’t challenging for sophisticated hackers to break through it. Remote cellphone hacking is a reality that thousands of people experience every day. Both iPhone and Android phone users can fall victim to it. The best you can do is learn about the techniques hackers use to break into your phone. Keep reading to discover eight common methods on how to remotely hack someones phone.
8 Powerful Techniques for Phone Hacking
1. Social Engineering
Social engineering is one of the most common ways to remotely hack a phone. The term refers to a range of malicious activities performed through human interactions. Hackers use psychological manipulation to make users give away their personal information. Mobile-based social engineering attacks can be SMS-based or through email and messengers.
An example of an SMS-based attack is sending a message to someone saying that they have won a lottery and urging them to register on a platform by giving their details. Besides, hackers can send malicious links or spam emails through messaging applications. Upon clicking the link, the user is redirected to a malicious website where they can unknowingly download malware onto their phones.
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2. Spyware Software
Another way to remotely hack a cellphone is through a spy app. To hack someone’s phone this way, the hacker convinces them to download an app with tracking features. These features aren’t so obvious, and the app can be anything, such as a productivity or a gaming app. So, it becomes extremely challenging for the user to know that their phone has been hacked. Different types of spy apps capture different kinds of data. Adware, for example, is a type of spyware that displays unwanted ads, monitors user activity, and gathers personal data for advertising purposes. Users can download mobile spyware to their phones through text messages. Once installed, the app records your phone calls, captures texts, tracks your location, and gathers sensitive data.
3. Midnight Raid
True to its name, Midnight Raid is an attack accomplished during the night while the target user is asleep. Midnight Raid is another common method employed by hackers. A major reason for its popularity is that it’s extremely simple to perform. All that is needed is a laptop with Wi-Fi and two cell phones. One phone acts as a GSM modem for the laptop. The other phone is to receive information. At night, while the user is asleep and their phone is unattended, it gets a message stating, ‘You are being hacked.’ The moment this message arrives, the Internet Explorer on the target phone gets invoked. After that, an application runs on the target device to extract data. The message returns to the phone from which it was sent. The hacker receives information like the target device’s IMSI number and unique ID.
4. IMSI Catcher
IMSI catchers are devices that the military uses to track down terrorists abroad. These devices use the working of mobile phones to catch the target. Mobiles produce to locate the nearest compatible cell tower. The IMSI catcher tricks the targeted cell phone into considering it as the nearest cell tower. Upon connecting to it, the device becomes a middleman between the actual cell tower and the phone of the user whom you want to track down. The IMSI catcher routes every call on the target phone before sending it to the actual tower. The hacker hacks the cell phone of the targeted person without them being aware.
5. Wi-Fi Hacking
Wi-Fi hacking is of two types. In one of the techniques, the hacker intercepts a person’s Wi-Fi to connect their device. In the other one, the hacker hacks someone’s Wi-Fi to reach their connected device. The latter is more dangerous. Also called Wi-Fi Jacking, the hacker situates themselves outside the public Wi-Fi location. They are at a distance from where they can access the wireless signal. From that location, they impersonated that Wi-Fi and set up the attack. The hackers usually use a high-powered directional antenna. They aim it in the direction of their target at a place where there is a public Wi-Fi network. The hackers force the target user’s phone onto their network and extract whatever information they want.
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6. Control Message Attack
In this attack, the hacker sends a control message to the target’s phone. Through this attack, they gain access to the target phone’s settings menu. This attack lets you control the target phone’s settings without the user’s knowledge. Hackers usually perform this attack to delete the information stored on the device. However, the success of this attack mainly depends on the security settings of the phone. Some cell phones are more vulnerable to control message attacks than others.
7. Tracking Through SS7
SS7 is a signaling system introduced in the 1970S. It is the hacker’s best friend because of its outdated security concept. The signaling system has been hugely successful since its launch, and today, it connects network communication globally. The SS7 telephony signaling protocols set up and terminate phone calls over a digital signaling network. This enables wired and wireless cellular connectivity. A hacker exploits the authentication ability of the communication protocols running over the SS7 protocol to eavesdrop on text and voice communication.
To perform this attack, all you require is a computer with a Linux OS and the SS7 SDK. Then, connect to an SS7 network to target the subscriber on this network. The network believes that the hacker’s device is an MSC/VLR node, fooling it.
8. BlueBorn Attacks
BlueBorne Attacks uses Bluetooth, which is a short-range communication protocol that every device uses. In this attack, hackers find vulnerabilities in smartphones. They connect to them and access your personal information. In this attack, the targeted device need not be paired with the hacker’s device. Switching on Bluetooth and being in proximity to the device with the BlueBorne virus is enough to transfer the attack virus into your device. This method demonstrates how to remotely hack someone’s phone by exploiting Bluetooth vulnerabilities. BlueBorne attack happens without human interaction and an internet connection. Its applications include data theft, ransomware attacks, and cyber espionage.
Final Thoughts
Smartphone technology, however advanced, can expose users to various remote hacking attacks. From social engineering tactics to techniques like SS7 exploitation, cybercriminals can infiltrate devices in a multitude of ways. We strongly advise you not to use any of the methods above for unethical purposes, including how to remotely hack someones phone. Gaining a better knowledge of them will help you maintain the security of your data in the modern digital world.
