Windows Phone message exploit crashes hubs, reboots
updated 12:00 am EST, Tue December 13, 2011
Windows Phone faces SMS, social attack
Microsoft just faced a degree of irony for its claims on Android security after an exploit was found in Windows Phone (video below). A maliciously crafted Facebook, SMS, or Windows Live message will confuse the Messaging Hub, at first rebooting the phone and then preventing the hub from opening from the live tile, WinRumors reader Khaled Salameh saw. The tile will often freeze the phone again shortly after startup, leaving just a few moments to delete the tile.
The flaw isn't specific to any one device or version of Windows Phone and works on all current versions of Windows Phone 7.5.
Text messaging flaws aren't new in mobile operating systems and have affected Android and iPhone devices in the past, but the Microsoft issue may be more systemic and dictated by the way the Messaging Hub works, not just a singular exploit.
Microsoft hasn't responded to the discovery so far. It may be somewhat humbled after company Windows Phone evangelist Ben Rudolph offered free Windows Phones to Android users whose phones were hit by malware. The possible attack is not only more direct but doesn't require any app at all to work. iPhone users have only ever faced real attacks from those compromising jailbroken phones.
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Limited impact
Fortunately it occurs only on Windows Phones running 7.5 so it will likely only affect about 50 people and they are likely just developers. No harm done.