Because of this gap, attackers can intercept and inject messages without needing to know the phone’s private credentials.

In late 2023, researchers uncovered a set of flaws in 5G modem firmware from major chipmakers, including MediaTek and Qualcomm, collectively named 5Ghoul.

A group of academics at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) has now shown how 5G phones can be tricked into falling back to 4G networks through a method that avoids the need for a fake base station.

Instead, it targets a vulnerable stage of communication between phone and tower, where critical messages remain unencrypted.

How the toolkit works in practice

The SNI5GECT toolkit, short for “Sniffing 5G Inject,” makes use ...