Hackers crack open mobile network ("Any GSM call is fair game,")

BBC ^ | December 31, 2010 | Unknown

[decimon]

Mobile calls and texts made on any GSM network can be eavesdropped upon using four cheap phones and open source software, say security researchers.

Karsten Nohl and Sylvain Munaut demonstrated their eavesdropping toolkit at the Chaos Computer Club Congress (CCC) in Berlin.

The work builds on earlier research that has found holes in many parts of the most widely used mobile technology.

The pair spent a year putting together the parts of the eavesdropping toolkit.

"Now there's a path from your telephone number to me finding you and listening to your calls," Mr Nohl told BBC News. "The whole way."

He said many of the pieces in the eavesdropping toolkit already existed thanks to work by other security researchers but there was one part the pair had to create themselves.

"The one piece that completed the chain was the ability to record data off the air," he said.

[muir_redwoods]

Would "discovered knowledge" include the subjects of the Wikileaks disclosures? Would it include the launch codes for our missile defense? Would it include your SS# and Master Card number?

Why or why not?

[antiRepublicrat]

I knew you were going to go there. I doubt even Jefferson considered state secrets as open to leaking; however, once out I’m sure he’d be against restriction on dissemination. This is especially so if it related to possible government wrongdoing.

I’m talking about discoveries scientifically. These guys researched how a system worked and published it. That is the advancement of science. There is no way Jefferson would support censoring this. Once you start to restrict knowledge you don’t like, the only difference in what is censored is who’s in charge.

So what do you think about the recent PlayStation 3 hacking? They hacked out the keys that basically open it up completely.

[muir_redwoods]

I’ll tell you what; take your playstation and keep channelling Jefferson. Destroying the intellectual property of others is evil. Any argument to the contrary is rationalization of evil.

[antiRepublicrat]

I’ll tell you what; take your playstation and keep channelling Jefferson. Destroying the intellectual property of others is evil.

Do you realize how wrong that comment is? First of all, nobody is destroying another's property. The PlayStation belongs to the purchaser of the system, it's his property. The copyright of the system software on it is supposed to give the copyright holder certain limited rights regarding copying, so that only he can distribute and sell those copies and make a profit. This is a monopoly right granted by the people for the sole purpose of advancing the arts and sciences, not for Sony's profit, not Sony's real property, Sony has no natural right to it. I say this as a software developer with copyrighted works myself.

By jailbreaking a PS3, you are not redistributing the software, you are not making a profit by such distribution to the detriment of Sony's profit. All you are doing is making it so that YOU can use YOUR OWN legally purchased product as you wish. Just as you should be able to remap the ECU in a car (a common practice), you should be able to run Linux on your PS3. It's something you bought and you want to change it more to your liking, a very American thing.

Back to the subject, these guys did some good engineering work on the GSM system, showing its flaws. They used standard tools of the trade, and at least by US law they used freedom of speech to disseminate this important information.