funsec mailing list archives

Re: Wireless: Cracking down on crime in a cellular


From: "Dr. Neal Krawetz" <hf () hackerfactor com>
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:32:29 -0700 (MST)

Hi Blue,

You need to think more creatively...  :-)
Anyone can disable the GPL...  but misinformation is much more damaging
that no information.

For cell phones: Use a Pringles can or sit below a water tower.
Either way, you can change the triangulation from the cell sites.
  - Pringles can: Focus the antenna so you can select the tower you want.
    If the signal is focused enough, only one cell will detect you.
    (You cannot triangulate with just one cell.)
  - Water tower: The signal reflects EVERYWHERE.  Simply moving a few
    feet can make the reflection bounces miles.  Not much control, but
    little chance of detection.

And then there is E911...
If my VoIP router is transmitting my location, then I can make it transmit
any location.  I wonder how long before people enter 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
and start prank-calling 911.  ("Uh, hello.  This is Dubya.  Do you know
where my shoes are?")

E911 could also be used to frame someone.  "I'd like to anonymously
report a crime I committed.  You mean you can trace my location?  Oh no!"

Ironically, this is similar to how they caught BTK.  He called the police
and asked if they could trace floppy disks.  They said "No".  Then he sent
a floppy disk.  Undelete was used to identify BTK.  Imagine if BTK used a
phone with E911!

And there are the Halloween movies: "Have you checked the children?"
(Movie: When a Stranger Calls.)  You can really have fun with caller-ID
and physical location information.

                                        -Neal
--
Neal Krawetz, Ph.D.
Hacker Factor Solutions
http://www.hackerfactor.com/


On Sun Oct 30 23:06:29 2005, Blue Boar wrote:

You can disable the more accurate GPS feature required by E911, but you 
can't do a lot about them being able to triangulate you with two or more 
cell sites, if you want service.

Aditya Deshmukh wrote:
Get a old nokia brick or do enough research to disable the 
"Location awareness" in your mobile 
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