Google Experts Reveal Russian Hackers Also Targeted Android Apps

At the recent CyberwarCon conference in Arlington, Google researchers Neil Mehta and Billy Leonard shared new details about the activities of the cybercriminal group Sandworm, which is more widely known to readers as Fancy Bear. Experts believe that Sandworm is sponsored by Russian authorities.

It’s worth recalling that the checkm8 exploit appeared online in September, thanks to a security expert known as Axi0mX. This jailbreak works on all iOS devices equipped with chipsets from A5 to A11. In other words, checkm8 is relevant for iPhone 4S, 5, 5S, 6, 6S, 7, 8, and X.

According to experts, checkm8 cannot be patched because the vulnerability exists in the bootrom. However, jailbreaking a device using checkm8 is only possible if it is combined with other vulnerabilities.

Bootrom vulnerabilities are extremely dangerous because they cannot be fixed with software updates. To fully resolve a bootrom flaw, manufacturers would need to physically modify the chipsets.

The story of checkm8 has now continued with the release of the working checkra1n exploit, which has become publicly available and allows users to jailbreak their iPhones.

“Checkra1n affects millions of iOS devices, making them potential targets,” commented Christopher Cinnamo, who is responsible for product promotion at Zimperium.

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