The Donjon research team at cryptocurrency security firm Ledger has discovered a critical vulnerability in smartphone processors widely used in the Android ecosystem.
This vulnerability puts users, especially those using software-based Web3 wallets, at risk of having their digital assets compromised if their devices are physically compromised.
Ledger researchers working on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip manufactured by TSMC have demonstrated that electromagnetic interference injection (EMFI) can be used to bypass the processor’s secure boot process. This vulnerability allows an attacker to gain complete control of the processor by disabling the earliest security checks in the device’s boot ROM.
The team used an open-source tool to fire an electromagnetic pulse at the exact moment the boot ROM’s operating system was accessed. The chip’s write command filtering mechanism was then bypassed and the return address in the ROM stack was changed. This method allowed arbitrary code to be executed at EL3, the highest privilege level of the processor. Ledger said the attack could be repeated within minutes.
The company stressed that the discovery does not affect Ledger’s hardware wallets, arguing that “even the most advanced smartphone chips are vulnerable to physical attacks.” Ledger said smartphones used as hot wallets are not suitable for storing private keys, and true security can be achieved with hardware wallets with secure elements.
*This is not investment advice.
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