Hackers Zero In on Android Users with Exploits in Qualcomm Chips

On Monday, chipmaker Qualcomm revealed that hackers exploited a zero-day vulnerability in dozens of its chipsets used in popular Android devices. The vulnerability, known as CVE-2024-43047, was deemed to be under limited, targeted exploitation according to Qualcomm and Google’s Threat Analysis Group.

U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA included the Qualcomm flaw in its list of vulnerabilities that have been exploited. Details about the specific targets of this hacking campaign are scarce, but Qualcomm commended researchers from Google Project Zero and Amnesty International Security Lab for their coordinated disclosure practices, which allowed for the rollout of fixes for the vulnerability.

Qualcomm listed 64 affected chipsets, including the flagship Snapdragon 8 (Gen 1) platform used in various Android phones. While millions of users may be vulnerable, the investigation into the limited, targeted exploitation of this zero-day suggests that the hacking campaign was directed at specific individuals rather than a widespread attack.

TechCrunch was informed by Qualcomm that fixes for the vulnerability have been made available to their customers as of September 2024. It is now in the hands of Android device makers to release the patch to their customers. Amnesty International is expected to release further research on the vulnerability soon, and Google’s TAG unit had no additional comments at the time.

This story was updated on October 9 to include Amnesty’s comment.