Listening to GSM phone calls

[N2RJ]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/...n-gsm-call.ars

Reminds me of the good old days of listening to AMPS phones. Illegal in the US of course, but I didn't live in the US at that time.

Just remember, if it's transmitted over the air there is absolutely no guarantee of it being private.

[N0SYA]

this kind of thing will fall under the purview of department of fatherland spying and constitutes terrorismses

[KB1DWB]

this kind of thing will fall under the purview of department of fatherland spying and constitutes terrorismses

I agree 100%

[W4PG]

Good Lord!

I did everything I could to convince my neighbor that I wasn't causing her kids cancer when I put my tower up, and she also thought I was listening in on her cell phone calls!!

Thanks, Ryan. Now she's gonna stir up trouble again!!

Can't get no peace . . . .

[K5XIT]

Who has so little to do that they would even consider snooping on telephone calls? Probably the same people that spend their weekends playing video games and bitching about no jobs.

[AF6LJ]

Sometime back I had read a description of how to decrypt GSM.

This reads like a classic "man in the middle" attack method.
/sue hasn't had her first cup of coffees yet. ......

This reads the same as the method I heard about several months ago.


The least secure item in your home is your powered up cell phone. It can be turned off and still accessed from the network. It can be turned on and used to eavesdrop on your goings on.

The Old Western Electric phones were more secure. When the receiver was placed on the hook audio to the line was disconnected by a physical switch. The only way to eavesdrop was to gain access to the phone and install a listening device. They are often prone to RFI.

I have told the story about my Ex and the corner Dope dealer before.

[KE7VLC]

Sometime back I had read a description of how to decrypt GSM.

This reads like a classic "man in the middle" attack method.
/sue hasn't had her first cup of coffees yet. ......

This reads the same as the method I heard about several months ago.


The least secure item in your home is your powered up cell phone. It can be turned off and still accessed from the network. It can be turned on and used to eavesdrop on your goings on.

The Old Western Electric phones were more secure. When the receiver was placed on the hook audio to the line was disconnected by a physical switch. The only way to eavesdrop was to gain access to the phone and install a listening device. They are often prone to RFI.

I have told the story about my Ex and the corner Dope dealer before.

Well if you are worried that someone is accessing your cell phone even if it's off....then simply pull the battery out. It might still have residual charge in it but thats about it.

[NM7L]

Back in the 1990s (when cordless phones were operating in the 49 MHz range along with the baby monitors...) I used to have a bank of channels programmed into a Radioscrap scanner to peruse the bandwidth. I did happen to overhear a conversation between neighbors that concerned my family & proceded to confront one of them about it. This neighbor then contacted the other about our discussion...then this neighbor then have the audacity to call the phone company and have them check the terminal box for "illegal wiretaps" since "my neighbor" was "listening" in on my phone calls. Funny thing about this exchange was that the phone co. rep who came that morning was a good friend of mine and told her that there was no way he (me) could have 1) wiretapped your phone, and 2) if using a cordless phone there was no privacy (anyone could listen in.)

Strange: after that moment all I could receive on that scanner were neighborhood baby monitors. What fun was that?

[N0SYA]

Who has so little to do that they would even consider snooping on telephone calls? Probably the same people that spend their weekends playing video games and bitching about no jobs.

your government

[N2RJ]

Sometime back I had read a description of how to decrypt GSM.

This reads like a classic "man in the middle" attack method.
/sue hasn't had her first cup of coffees yet. ......

Yeah kinda.

The more stupid thing is that wireless operators reuse keys and expect their encryption to be secure.

Oh, and by the way the encryption on your SIM card is bette than that of your actual communications. Proof that wireless companies care more about profits than you the customer.