Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Blogs
    • Security Watch

    BlackBerry Flaw Highlights Mobile Data Risks

    By
    Matthew Hines
    -
    July 18, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Mobile malware hasn’t materialized to the extent that some experts were predicting it would several years ago, but that doesn’t mean that threats won’t emerge targeting popular handhelds.

      That’s why it’s interesting to keep tabs on flaws discovered in mobile device infrastructure, such as the Enterprise Server PDF Processing Vulnerability acknowledged by Research In Motion yesterday.

      For while mobile Web attacks or spyware type threats for handhelds have not emerged, one could imagine that something along those lines could prove pretty damaging from the angle of how much valuable data is being stored on the machines, and just as importantly, the servers that support them.

      There’s also the fallout from potential DoS attacks, for which the named vulnerability might already be exploited were it that such an attack existed, according to security researchers including Secunia who reported on the flaw — which to RIM’s credit, it initially announced on its own.

      Ranked as “highly critical” by Secunia, the research firm said that the BlackBerry vulnerability could potentially by exploited by malware seeking to compromise an affected system. The vulnerability is caused due to an unspecified error in the BlackBerry Attachment Service when processing PDF files.

      “This can be exploited to potentially execute arbitrary code on the vulnerable system via an e-mail containing a specially crafted PDF,” Secunia said in its online advisory. “Successful exploitation requires that a BlackBerry smart phone user views the specially crafted PDF file.”

      The vulnerability affects versions 4.1 Service Pack 3 (4.1.3) through 4.1 Service Pack 5 (4.1.5) of BlackBerry Enterprise Server specifically, but other versions may also be affected, Secunia noted.

      In its own advisory, RIM offered a series of workaround but also noted that even smart phone users should only open attachments from trusted sources.

      As you can see, the user-oriented security measures we’ve come to adopt for our PCs have already crept their way onto the mobile scene.

      For now the threat of attack seems relatively low, for even though the vulnerability affects the server software that supports BlackBerry, related attacks have not been seen in the wild.

      But it’s not hard to imagine that some enterprising malware types out there are observing these types of flaws as they get discovered, and attempting to build threats that can take advantage of them.

      Only time will tell if they succeed.

      Matt Hines has been following the IT industry for over a decade as a reporter and blogger, and has been specifically focused on the security space since 2003, including a previous stint writing for eWeek and contributing to the Security Watch blog. Hines is currently employed as marketing communications manager at Core Security Technologies, a Boston-based maker of security testing software. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Core Security, and neither the company, nor its products and services will be actively discussed in the blog. Please send news, research or tips to SecurityWatchBlog@gmail.com.

      Matthew Hines
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×