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The August 2008 headline “J2ME breach infects Nokia phones” described security claims by researcher Adam Gowdiak—not a confirmed, widespread infection. He said two vulnerabilities in Sun’s mobile Java technology, combined with 14 issues in Nokia Series 40 handsets, could let a crafted sequence of messages install malicious Java applications. The contemporary report did not establish in-the-wild exploitation, a complete list of affected models, or a patch.
What the 2008 Nokia report claimed
In an August 11, 2008 report, Gregg Keizer of InfoWorld described Gowdiak’s claim that he had found two critical vulnerabilities in Sun Microsystems’ Java technology for mobile devices and 14 security issues in Nokia Series 40 handsets. The report said he had notified Sun and Nokia the previous Thursday; the companies confirmed receiving his report.
Gowdiak said an attacker could target a handset using its phone number and a maliciously crafted series of messages. He described the vulnerabilities as a route to delivering malicious Java applications. The resulting capabilities—such as placing calls, sending messages, recording audio or video, accessing files and contacts, and reading SIM data—were capabilities he reported, not independently confirmed outcomes in the article.
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What was tested and what was estimated
According to the InfoWorld account, Gowdiak said he had tested seven Nokia Series 40 handsets, with at least one from each major family. He estimated that about 140 Nokia handsets used the platform. These are attributed figures, not a published model-by-model inventory or an independently verified device count. The report does not identify a complete set of affected models.
#1 Best Overall
- Compatibility: The Nokia 105 4G works with GSM carriers like T-Mobile and T-Mobile subsidiaries, but not AT&T, Cricket, Verizon or Verizon/AT&T subsidiaries.
- Large buttons and zoomed menus for easy navigation on the 1.8" display
- Stay connected with crisp, clear calls over 4G VoLTE
- Long 12 hour battery life to keep you talking and texting
- Rear camera, LED flashlight, games, and FM radio for entertainment
Disclosure details and the limits of the report
InfoWorld reported that Gowdiak had shared only one or two pages of findings with the vendors and was offering the remaining research, including proof-of-concept code, for €20,000. That commercial disclosure arrangement was part of the story, but it does not itself demonstrate that an attack had been carried out against users.
Gowdiak said, “We have proved that these devices can be hacked and infected with malware in a very similar way PC computers are.” That is his characterization of the work, not an independent finding by InfoWorld. The report records vendor receipt of the disclosure but does not establish a patch, confirmed exploitation in the wild, or a verified list of vulnerable models.
Rank #2
- Product is exclusively compatible with GSM carriers. In the US this product is confirmed to work with T-Mobile, Boost, Metro, Mint, H2O Wireless and other carriers using the T-Mobile network. Please confirm compatibility with your network service provider. Carrier network coverage is dependent upon the carrier's service area. Product is not compatible with AT&T, Verizon or their subsidiaries. Product requires a nano SIM card size.
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- 2 years of Android OS and security upgrades.
Why this is different from the 2004 Nokia 6310i story
A separate report nearly four years earlier concerned two flaws in the KVM bytecode verifier used by Sun’s Java virtual machine. John Leyden’s October 22, 2004 article in The Register described a demonstration on a Nokia 6310i and possible access to phone data, arbitrary SMS sending, and modification of permanent memory. It also characterized the flaws as far from easy to exploit. Those verifier flaws are not the 2008 Series 40 disclosure, and the 2004 report does not establish that the 6310i was affected by Gowdiak’s later findings.
In an archived October 22, 2004 Bugtraq post, Gowdiak estimated that the separate verifier issues might affect about 250 million phones. That figure was his estimate, not a verified deployment count, and it should not be combined with the 2008 Series 40 figures.
Rank #3
- 5MP Rear Camera with Built-In Flash
- 1.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
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- 4G Connectivity with preloaded Web Browser, Email
| Report | Platform and issue | Devices and scope | What the sources establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Sun JVM KVM bytecode-verifier flaws | Nokia 6310i was named in the demonstration; Gowdiak estimated about 250 million potentially affected phones in his Bugtraq post. | The report described possible data access, SMS sending, and permanent-memory changes. The estimate is not a verified inventory. |
| 2008 | Two reported Sun mobile Java vulnerabilities plus 14 claimed Nokia Series 40 issues | Gowdiak said he tested seven Series 40 handsets and estimated about 140 Nokia handsets used the platform. | InfoWorld reported a claimed crafted-message-to-malicious-app attack chain. It did not establish a complete affected-model list or confirmed real-world exploitation. |
What the report does—and does not—mean for Java phone security
The 2008 account raised a serious possibility: a weakness in a mobile Java environment, together with handset-specific issues, might allow an attacker to move beyond a normal Java application’s intended limits. But the headline’s word “infects” should not be read as proof of a confirmed outbreak. The cited reporting presents Gowdiak’s technical claims and the vendors’ acknowledgment that they received a report; it does not document attacks on users or a vendor fix.
A later, separate example shows a different way Java ME malware could reach a user. Microsoft’s Trojan:Java/SMSer.AI threat description, published January 9, 2012 and updated September 15, 2017, says the malware could masquerade as a game or other legitimate software and send an SMS to a premium number after the user selected a confirmation prompt. Microsoft’s description does not connect that Trojan to the 2008 Nokia vulnerabilities.
Rank #4
- Compatibility: This Nokia 110 phone works with GSM carriers like T-Mobile and T-Mobile subsidiaries, but not AT&T, Cricket, Verizon or Verizon/AT&T subsidiaries.
- Connectivity: This phone supports 4G VoLTE for HD voice calls and fast internet browsing.
- Design: The Nokia 110 has a sleek, compact design with large buttons and a 1.8-inch display for easy navigation.
- Camera: The rear 1.0MP camera with macro mode allows you to capture photos and videos.
- Memory: This phone has 128MB of RAM and 1GB of internal storage for apps and media files.
Can a Java app hack a Nokia phone?
The 2008 report’s answer was a qualified claim: Gowdiak said a crafted message sequence could enable malicious Java applications with capabilities beyond ordinary app behavior on some Series 40 devices. The available reporting is not enough to say which exact Nokia models were vulnerable, whether a particular phone was exploitable, or whether the reported chain was used in real attacks. The 2004 Nokia 6310i findings concern a distinct flaw set and do not fill those gaps.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- This device is AT&T Locked. We only guarantee this phone to be compatible with AT&T SIM cards. This device may not be compatible with other SIM cards on AT&T's network. Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility before purchasing.
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