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Hacker Builds $1,500 DIY Cellular Interceptor, Snatches Your 2G Calls

by Terrence O'Brien on August 2, 2010 at 03:45 PM

Chris Paget Demos DIY Cellular SpoofIn December, a German security researcher cracked the code used to encrypt older 2G GSM cellular communications. Now, Chris Paget, another researcher, has discovered a way to bypass that encryption and intercept cell phone calls -- with a mere $1,500 worth of off-the-shelf equipment. Paget created a DIY version of an IMSI catcher, a piece of equipment that is used by intelligence and law enforcement agencies to intercept cellular communications, and that can cost upwards of a million dollars. The most expensive component of Paget's DIY system, though, is a laptop, meaning just a few hundred dollars worth of antennas and radios could turn your PC into a serious spy machine.

The system works by tricking GSM phones into connecting to Paget's system and turning off their encryption. By pumping out small amounts of energy over his antennas, he can make GSM phones think that his laptop is a cell tower. While 2G connections like EDGE require an encrypted connection, most carriers have turned off that security feature, presumably for convenience and to facilitate roaming. That means a hacker using Paget's system could quietly connect to your cell phone over an unencrypted connection without your knowledge.

This low-cost IMSI system does lack a couple of features that its professional-grade brethren have, including the ability to intercept data transmissions, but there is no reason to suspect that capability is beyond the technical capabilities of the rig. The hacked-together system also lacks the ability to intercept 3G signals, but it can still force 3G phones to connect to it by jamming the higher bandwidth signals and thereby causing the handsets to revert to 2G mode. Check out a portion of Paget's demonstration below. [From: Wired,via: Engadget]

Tags: 2g, 3G, cellphone, ChrisPaget, diy, gsm, hacking, ImsiCatcher, privacy, security, smartphone, top

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