USB Exploit Drama: Serbian Authorities, Cellebrite, and the Student Activist’s Android Device
Serbia and Android zero-day exploits: a match made in digital forensics heaven. In a twist of irony, the exploit chain used by authorities was unraveled by Amnesty International, leading to a game of cyber cat and mouse with Google’s security team. Google’s on the case while Cellebrite is pulling the plug on Serbia!
Hot Take:
It seems the USB port has become the Achilles’ heel of smartphones, with hackers treating it like their own personal treasure chest. If your phone has a USB port, it’s time to treat it like a second cousin you only see at weddings—keep it close, but don’t trust it with your secrets.
Key Points:
- Serbian authorities reportedly used a Cellebrite zero-day exploit to unlock a student’s phone and attempt to install spyware.
- Amnesty International uncovered the exploit, leading to Google identifying three vulnerabilities in the Linux kernel USB drivers.
- One of the vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-53104, has been patched, but the other two remain unpatched for the broader Android community.
- GrapheneOS has already patched the two remaining vulnerabilities in their Android distribution.
- USB exploits require physical access to the device, which law enforcement agencies often acquire through detainment.
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