Venezuela's President Thinks American Spies Can't Hack Huawei Phones

Last Monday, Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, made a bold claim during a press conference. Holding up a Huawei smartphone that China's President Xi Jinping had gifted him, he declared, "The Americans can't hack it, neither their spy planes, nor their satellites." The phone in question looked like the Mate X6, a foldable phone released by Huawei in 2024.

However, nothing is impossible to hack, and even less so for U.S. government hackers, who are considered some of the best in the world. A U.S.-based vulnerability researcher, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the topic, told TechCrunch that Huawei's approach to hardware and software development makes its devices more vulnerable to hacking.

"There's bound to be many more mistakes in their brand-new code than in iOS and Android at this time," said the researcher. "Huawei makes its own hardware, as well as its own mobile operating system – HarmonyOS. This means that there are more potential entry points for hackers." HarmonyOS, like any software, has had bugs and requires regular security updates.

In the case of the Mate X6, Huawei promises monthly security patches but notes that "the number of device models with monthly security patch updates is subject to change. Certain carriers may only support updates on a quarterly basis." This lack of standardization makes it more challenging for users to keep their devices secure.

A History of U.S. Government Hacking Attempts

There is a documented history of U.S. government hackers targeting Huawei. In 2014, documents leaked by Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA had hacked and hidden backdoors inside Huawei servers in China. The hack was so successful that NSA spies gained access to Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen, allowing them to spy on company executives' communications and gather information about its products.

"Many of our targets communicate over Huawei-produced products," an NSA document said, according to The New York Times. "We want to make sure that we know how to exploit these products," it added, to "gain access to networks of interest" around the world.

Even though this was in 2014, it is almost certain that the NSA, U.S. Cyber Command, and others have continued their mission to hack Huawei devices and find vulnerabilities in them for espionage purposes. There are likely U.S. government employees whose only job is to target Huawei devices and systems.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government accused the NSA of targeting Chinese critical infrastructure. The implications of these hacking attempts are clear: even the most secure devices can be compromised with enough time, resources, and expertise.

The Reality Behind Maduro's Claim

While President Maduro may believe that Huawei phones are immune to American spies' hacking attempts, the reality is far more complex. As a vulnerability researcher pointed out, Huawei's approach to hardware and software development makes its devices more vulnerable to exploitation.

HarmonyOS, like any software, has bugs and requires regular security updates. The fact that Huawei promises monthly security patches but also notes that "the number of device models with monthly security patch updates is subject to change" highlights the challenges faced by users in keeping their devices secure.

In conclusion, President Maduro's claim that American spies can't hack Huawei phones is unlikely to be true. While it may be an interesting talking point, it overlooks the very real risks and vulnerabilities present in Huawei's approach to hardware and software development.