Weak encryption: snoop on GPRS data on cellphones

peet · Post by **peet** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:30 am

Some Euro Telco's even have no encryption at all, others use a weak setting.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/10/gp..._call_snooping/

Post by **pkk** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:29 am

Pretty old news...

http://flur.net/archive/research/GSMinterception.pdf

Post by **FreeBeer** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:09 pm

Our carriers here use ROT13. Try breaking that, baby!

Cyre · Post by **Cyre** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:32 pm

lol are you $#@!ing kidding me?

peet · Post by **peet** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:34 pm

I knew the GSM protocol (the voice part I mean) itself was broken, and might be actively used. The GPRS (data) part, that is new to me.

Cyre · Post by **Cyre** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:57 pm

every time i read about computer security i realize that the only reason all kinds of idiots can hack is because nobody knows piss$#@! about security. I know there are others who really know their game, but those are only a bunch. The hacker ivory tower is hardly a place for the average hacktard

Axel Kolle · Post by **Axel Kolle** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 12:58 pm

It is also the hassle of being "secure", which is an illusion in the first place.
When a well known antivirus (Kaspersky) can bring a core I7 to its knees when I try to log on via 3g modem something is wrong. Very wrong. And when the same security firms keep 0 day exploits ready for sale to interested parties (HBGary, see arstechnica for the details of Aonymous vs HBGary)...
Well, meh.

Personally, if I want to keep something private I simply stay away from electronic storage and WRITE. With a PEN.

Axel Kolle · Post by **Axel Kolle** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 1:06 pm

Besides, around here the gov't actually officially tries to implement something like Echelon. All comms are tappable as a matter of law, fortunately we are talking african standards of efficiency here.

All the same, many members of gov't have an unregistered phone as a matter of course for confidential discussions.