Malicious SIM card can execute code on a device and steal data. Researchers from the University of Birmingham and Fuzzware have found that a malicious SIM card can send commands to a modem that enable arbitrary code execution, file reading, service disruption, and forced downgrading of a smartphone to 2G mode. The issue may be particularly dangerous for IoT equipment, including EV charging stations, industrial routers, and automotive telematics systems. For their research, the specialists created a toolkit called CATana, which can be used to determine which AT commands a SIM card can send to a modem and what consequences this may have. Using it, the experts tested 26 devices: 18 smartphones and eight IoT modems. The AT interface was accessible from the SIM card on nine devices - six out of eight modems and three smartphones (the Oppo Find X5, Oppo Reno 14 F 5G, and Asus Zenfone 9). According to the experts, the issue stems from the RUN AT command in the proactive SIM commands set. AT commands are a set of instructions for controlling modems; they have been in use since the 1980s and have accumulated numerous vendor-specific extensions over time. These commands allow a SIM card to communicate with the device on its own, while RUN AT instructs the modem to execute an AT command. This is neither a bug nor an undocumented feature: the mechanism is предусмотрен by cellular communication specifications. Nevertheless, the researchers believe this dangerous interface should be disabled or phased out entirely. The most dangerous attack was demonstrated by the experts using a commercial Autel charging station equipped with a Quectel EC25-AFX module. In this case, the researchers exploited a command injection vulnerability in the modem's Linux environment and successfully achieved arbitrary code execution. On the Oppo Reno 14 F 5G smartphone, researchers discovered 198 SIM-accessible AT commands and their variants. These included commands for powering off the device, disabling the modem, and forcing a switch to 2G. Notably, the latter effect persisted even after enabling airplane mode, disabling the SIM card, and changing network settings. Since 2G lacks mutual authentication, such a downgrade could make fake base station attacks significantly easier for attackers. Another exploit allowed the researchers to read arbitrary files from the Quectel EG25-G module and send them to a remote server via AT+QSMTP. However, a malicious SIM card alone was not enough for this attack: the module's file system also had to contain a specially crafted symbolic link in advance. Experts emphasize that such an attack requires control over the SIM card itself. It can be physically swapped, compromised through software or at the manufacturing stage, or taken over via a hacked or rogue mobile operator. For this reason, the researchers consider unattended IoT devices with accessible SIM card slots particularly attractive targets for such attacks. The report's authors also highlight another issue: a malicious SIM card could open an attacker-controlled website without any user interaction, even on a locked Android smartphone (including Pixel 6, 8, and 9 models). In December 2025, Google engineers fixed this vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-48618, but the rollout of updates across Android devices remains inconsistent even in 2026. The researchers notified representatives of Google, Oppo, Quectel, Semtech, and Qualcomm about all the discovered issues back in March 2026, and GSMA (GSM Association) specialists in May. As a result, the exposed SIM AT interface issue is already being tracked under identifiers CVE-2026-57550 (Qualcomm) and CVD-2026-0122 (GSMA). Qualcomm has already introduced additional protections that disable SIM access to AT commands by default. Quectel has reported fixing the file-reading issue, but is still working on securing the interface itself.

From classroom to code, circuit and robot: Adani University builds a new-age AI playground with Qualcomm & IIT Bombay. Reading Time: 2 mins read Discover more Pharmaceuticals & Biotech Travel Guides & Travelogues * Adani University opens two advanced labs to turn AI and engineering theory into hands-on innovation * Qualcomm-powered Edge AI Lab gives students industry-grade platforms for IoT, robotics, computer vision and intelligent devices * IIT Bombay's e-Yantra-backed EEP Lab brings electronics, embedded systems, automation and prototyping into the classroom * New facilities create an academia-industry innovation bridge for applied research, product development and real-world solutions NE EDUCATION BUREAU AHMEDABAD, AUG 14 What happens when classrooms stop at theory and laboratories become launchpads for the technologies shaping tomorrow? Adani University has taken a decisive step in that direction by launching two advanced laboratories in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and IIT Bombay, creating a hands-on ecosystem where students can move from algorithms and engineering fundamentals to real-world AI, robotics, IoT and automation solutions. Two Labs, One Big Leap into the Future of Engineering The new facilities comprise the Arduino Edge AI Lab powered by Qualcomm Technologies and the Engineering Exploration Program (EEP) Lab, established with e-Yantra, IIT Bombay. Discover more Calculators & Reference Tools Together, the laboratories are designed to strengthen practical learning, applied research, prototyping and industry-academia collaboration while giving students and faculty access to contemporary technology platforms and real-world engineering challenges. Where AI Meets the Edge - and Ideas Meet Hardware The Arduino Edge AI Lab gives students access to industry-grade edge-computing platforms to design, test, optimise and deploy AI applications at the edge. The facility will support learning and research across Edge AI, Internet of Things (IoT), embedded systems, robotics, computer vision and intelligent devices, while exposing students to challenges such as power optimisation, memory management, latency and thermal performance. It will also serve as a platform for faculty development, student projects, applied research and rapid prototyping. IIT Bombay Lab Turns Engineering Theory into Working Solutions Complementing the AI facility, the EEP Lab developed with e-Yantra, IIT Bombay, will provide practical training in electronics, embedded systems, programming, robotics and automation. Discover more Dairy & Eggs Geographic Reference Through experimentation, prototyping and project-based learning, students will be encouraged to translate classroom concepts into tangible engineering solutions. The laboratories were inaugurated by Dr. Priti G. Adani, President, Adani University, in the presence of Rajen Vagadia, President, Qualcomm Technologies India, underscoring the University's growing engagement with industry to strengthen technology-led education. The facilities are expected to support innovation across areas including smart IoT systems, industrial automation, robotics, computer vision, intelligent transportation, healthcare technologies, smart devices and next-generation connected systems. Provost Prof. Dhaval Pujara said stronger academia-industry collaboration is essential to preparing graduates for a technology-driven economy, with exposure to contemporary technologies and real-world engineering challenges helping students develop practical skills, creativity and problem-solving capabilities. Registrar Prof. Amish Vyas said the laboratories would strengthen the University's academic and research ecosystem by enabling applied research, interdisciplinary projects and product development involving students and faculty. By bringing together students, researchers, faculty members and industry experts, the two laboratories are poised to create a pipeline from learning and experimentation to prototyping, research and technology development. For Adani University, the launch represents more than an infrastructure upgrade: it is an attempt to give young engineers the tools to build with AI, experiment with emerging technologies and solve problems that exist beyond the classroom.

AIREV and Qualcomm to advance autonomous AI across enterprise and government environments. Abu Dhabi's AIREV will power autonomous AI agents across Qualcomm Dragonwing products Last updated: August 13, 2026 | 17:19 AIREV, the Abu Dhabi-based creator of the OnDemand autonomous AI platform, has entered into a strategic agreement with Qualcomm Technologies Ltd. Through this collaboration, the OnDemand platform will be integrated with Qualcomm Dragonwing products, including the Qualcomm Dragonwing AI On-Prem Appliance, helping enterprises and governments deploy sovereign AI wherever their data resides while creating a foundation for future technology integration. His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister for Foreign Trade and Chairman of AIREV, said: "As well as attracting the world's best technology services, the UAE is now creating and exporting them, providing the latest evidence of the positive journey of the UAE's AI sector. Together with Qualcomm, AIREV creates a first in the region by combining chip technology, hardware preloading, and registration into the US market as part of an integrated and mutually reinforcing business strategy." OnDemand is a no- and low-code operating system for building, deploying and managing autonomous AI agents. Designed from its inception to run without mandatory cloud dependency - whether in a sovereign data center, on a corporate server, or directly on a device - the platform serves more than four million users globally and offers over 300 specialized agents across more than 50 languages. In the second quarter of 2026, AIREV's products processed 6.8 trillion tokens, a roughly sixfold increase over the preceding year, among the highest throughput volumes recorded by a UAE-based AI platform. Qualcomm Technologies powers devices and infrastructure across enterprise, public and critical infrastructure, consumer, and industrial environments. By integrating AIREV's software with Qualcomm Dragonwing products, including the Qualcomm Dragonwing AI On-Prem Appliance, the collaboration gives enterprises and governments access to AI agents capable of operating regardless of where that data lives, enabling secure and sovereign AI deployments while extending the reach of agentic AI across Qualcomm-powered environments. Muhammad Khalid, Founder and Chief Executive of AIREV, said: "With Qualcomm, we can put capable, advanced AI agents virtually every place our customers work - from on-premises infrastructure to intelligent edge deployments. That reach, from the cloud to the edge, is what turns agentic AI from a demonstration into a genuine productivity driver and something people and organizations rely on every day." Wassim Chourbaji, Senior Vice President, and President Europe, Middle East and Africa at Qualcomm Technologies Ltd, added: "Bringing AIREV's OnDemand platform to Qualcomm Dragonwing products expands the ways enterprises and governments can deploy capable and efficient AI agents. This collaboration lays the groundwork for bringing these capabilities across a broader range of Qualcomm technologies over time." SPONSORED LINKS BY PROJECT AGORA The collaboration reflects the growing global demand for trusted AI solutions and highlights the increasing role of UAE-developed technology services in addressing enterprise and government AI requirements across a range of markets. AIREV was formed in 2024 and has since grown into a commercially deployed platform with backers such as VentureWave Capital and Titian Capital. The agreement reflects the emergence of UAE-developed AI platforms on the global stage, with AIREV combining silicon certification, hardware pre-installation and US-market registration into a single, self-reinforcing commercial strategy.