Microsoft Exchange Servers Spoofed To Manipulate Mobile Devices

So much to-do has been generated around preventing unauthorized mobile devices from accessing sensitive corporate resources, but what happens when security researchers turn that model on its head? What happens when the theoretical attackers use unauthorized, spoofed servers to connect to mobile devices? This Thursday at Black Hat, an Australian researcher will demonstrate a proof-of-concept attack that employs just that type of attack, using a man-in-the-middle connection and Microsoft Exchange to conduct unauthorized remote wipes on mobile devices.

The genesis for the research, says Peter Hannay, a PhD student, researcher, and lecturer based at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, came from the idea that mobile Exchange attacks don't necessarily need to compromise services in the organization if the endpoint devices themselves are unprotected and poorly configured. The initial proof-of-concept demonstrated by Hannay is a multi-stage attack.

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