[ISN] Hacking cellphones' GSM software quick, cheap, researchers claim

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 03:48:01 -0600 (CST)
http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Hacking+cellphones+software+quick+cheap+researchers+claim/4038592/story.html

By Jason Magder
Postmedia News 
December 29, 2010

MONTREAL - Most of the world's cellphones can be hacked and their phone 
calls recorded using less than $100 of equipment, a pair of researchers 
have found.

The pair, Sylvain Munaut and Karsten Nohl, demonstrated to the Chaos 
Computer Club Congress in Berlin, Germany, this week how they 
intercepted phone calls and SMS messages using four phones they bought 
for less than $15 each, and a laptop. The pair said most phone networks 
working on the GSM standard are vulnerable. The GSM network is used by 
80 per cent of the world's phones, including Rogers Communications Inc., 
which has the largest market share in Canada, and Fido.

Speaking for Rogers, Sebastien Bouchard said he wasn't sure if customers 
were affected by this vulnerability. He said, however, that Rogers works 
closely with the world GSM association to protect the privacy of its 
customers.

Bell Canada Enterprises and Telus Corporation use different technology, 
the HSPA+ network. Bell spokesperson Marie-Eve Francoeur said that 
network isn't affected by the vulnerabilities of GSM software. She said, 
however, that Bell is concerned with security and reviews its procedures 
continuously.

The pair showed how they could send a ghost text message to a target 
phone, that the phone would not see, but the phone would transmit its 
identification number to the sender.

[...]


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Received on Fri Dec 31 2010 - 01:48:01 PST

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