Can smartphones be turned into bombs like pagers in Lebanon
Over the last two days, hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon, killing over a dozen people and injuring more than 3,000. The incident has raised questions about the security of communication devices, particularly smartphones that also rely on lithium-ion batteries. Experts warn that tampering with smartphones isn't entirely out of the question.
Investigation into Lebanon's pager explosions underway
The widespread detonation of pagers in Lebanon suggests a highly coordinated, possibly external operation. Initial investigations point to explosives embedded in the devices. Some reports claim that Israeli intelligence inserted explosives into pagers produced by Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo as part of a covert operation. The New York Times reported that Israel remotely detonated the devices by embedding a switch, raising concerns about potential smartphone exploitation.
Smartphone tampering possible threat?
While the idea of turning smartphones into explosive devices may seem far-fetched, experts argue that it is technically possible. However, executing such an attack would be more complex and challenging than tampering with pagers due to sophisticated software and hardware protections in smartphones. "A pager already has three of these components. You would only need to add the detonator and charge," a former British Army bomb disposal officer told AP.
Advanced safety measures in smartphones reduce risk
Modern smartphones use advanced safety measures that significantly reduce the risk of overheating and explosion. Many smartphones come with cooling systems designed to dissipate heat evenly across the device. If an iPhone overheats, its software triggers a shutdown to prevent further damage, cutting off charging in extreme temperatures. Even if a hacker attempted to manipulate a smartphone's battery, it is unlikely that the phone would explode.
Israel's history of weaponizing objects
Israel's intelligence agencies have a long history of using everyday objects as weapons. In the 1990s, Israeli operatives killed Hamas bombmaker Yahya Ayyash by rigging his mobile phone to explode. Similarly, a car headrest packed with explosives killed Hezbollah's Imad Mughniyeh in 2008. More recently in 2020, Iran's nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated by a remotely controlled machine gun mounted on a pickup truck.
Future attacks on connected devices not ruled out
While it seems highly unlikely that smartphones could be weaponized in the same manner as pagers, experts are not ruling out potential future attacks on connected devices. The possibility of hacking into a connected car, baby monitor, or even wireless headphones has been a growing concern. According to Kaspersky, although iPhone viruses are rare, they are not unheard of. The Pegasus spyware was able to compromise iPhones via text message.
