And the hits just keep on coming...

Pooh

... The latest being "Simjacking" : a vulnerability that apparently affects almost any device with a SIM card.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/09/hackers-are-exploiting-a-platform-agnostic-flaw-to-track-mobile-phone-locations/

If there is a plus to this is that the hackers are not overtly bothered by your location, and TelCos are working to block these messages.

That days, here we are, in 2019, and functionality from a decade ago is alive and well and causing grief and heartache.

On a side note, I for one, had no idea SIM cards could run have applications!

Gidster

I also didn't know there were apps for SIM cards!

Mirekmal

Yes, it possible to run apps on SIM, though it is not very efficient. Both amount of storage to keep application and computing power of SIM processor is very limited. So for normal apps it is way more efficient to run them on the phone itself.
Few years ago we developed (my previous company together with mobile operator) system that was performing least cost routing on the SIM. When user was placing a call app decided how to route it. For all domestic (mobile or fixed line) calls it was going through mobile network, for all international calls phone was connecting to our company PABX first, authorizing user and then redirecting call through land lines to target. All of it was done on SIM, completely transparent to user.

kltaylor

Pooh said:

... The latest being "Simjacking" : a vulnerability that apparently affects almost any device with a SIM card.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/09/hackers-are-exploiting-a-platform-agnostic-flaw-to-track-mobile-phone-locations/

If there is a plus to this is that the hackers are not overtly bothered by your location, and TelCos are working to block these messages.

That days, here we are, in 2019, and functionality from a decade ago is alive and well and causing grief and heartache.

On a side note, I for one, had no idea SIM cards could run have applications!

There does seem to be an unusually high number of exploits/malware/infections happening lately.  I wonder if it's a precursor to something important, like voting.