Unisoc SoCs Vulnerable To Hacking, Claims Research Firm

Last Updated on June 3, 2022 by Anu Joy

Due to a number of weaknesses in the modems and other chip-related concerns, certain low-cost smartphones are vulnerable to hacking, putting Android users in danger. According to a recent investigation, Check Point Research, a cyber security research group, uncovered a weakness in the Unisoc modem that could impact communication.

In May this year, Check Point Research notified the Unisoc teams and informed them of their results. Unisoc confirmed the findings and assigned a critical 9.4 rating to the vulnerability. Google has indicated that the fix will be included in the upcoming Android Security Update, so users should always need to update these devices regularly in the coming months.

How Does This Flaw Work?

The flaw was identified on a Motorola Moto G20 (XT2128-2) with the January 2022 update loaded (RTAS31.68.29). However, it can also be found on other phones. The Check Point Research team thoroughly tested the Moto G20, which is powered by the Unisoc T700 chip. They then reverse-engineered the LTE protocol stack’s implementation and discovered a vulnerability that might be used by a threat actor from afar to deny modem services and potentially restrict communications.

Furthermore, by exploiting this vulnerability, a corrupted packet can be used to stop the device’s radio transmission. This weakness can be used by an attacker or even a military unit to disrupt communications on the targeted devices. Right now, there’s nothing Android users can do, but both Unisoc and Google are working on a fix that should be released in the coming weeks.

Unisoc, a Chinese chipmaker, has been acquiring a considerable foothold in the African and Asian smart TV and smartphone markets by powering low-cost Android devices in these categories. This isn’t the first time a flaw in Unisoc chipsets has been discovered, and the company needs to step up its security efforts.