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How to Block Stingray Devices

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Re: How to Block Stingray Devices

#11

Post by coretx »

Scipio_Afri wrote: post #4
masonic wrote: post #2

Don't all phones have this in "Settings"? e.g. Settings-Connections-MobileNetworks-NetworkMode Also, will my phone even bother with 2G if LTE, 4G, or 3G is available?

You can force a phone into 2G handshaking, that's how stingrays work.

I could imagine that they'll eventually receive a firmware update allowing them to have conduct more modern modes of operation. That said, given that the target network also has 2G besides 3g; it can be configured in a "compatible" mode; one that can and is being exploited in the wild. 3g only networks are not suceptible to that particular type of attack. However, a similair scenario also exists for 3g/4g networks. TL;DR Locking your baseband to the most modern technology decreases the odds for being intercepted/stung but certainly does not guarantee any safety.

Re: How to Block Stingray Devices

#12

Post by acct1771 »

masonic wrote: post #6
Scipio_Afri wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can force a phone into 2G handshaking, that's how stingrays work.

Okay, thanks for the explanation. Meanwhile, setting my Samsung Galaxy S9 to no-2G gives me a warning message that cannot be dismissed: "This setting turns off 2G service. If 2G service is off, some app..." (the remainder can't be viewed).

Rotate.

Re: How to Block Stingray Devices

#15

Post by coretx »

When sincerely concerned about stingray devices it might be a better idea to either invest in a professional detection appliance or to install applications such as AIMSICD. ( foss/free) If you only deny 2g connectivity; it provides no certainty against being stung and you won't know if you are a target.

https://github.com/CellularPrivacy/Android-IMSI-Catcher-Dete...

Re: How to Block Stingray Devices

#16

Post by jsjsoaofnfn »

mtgx wrote: post #9
masonic wrote: post #2

Don't all phones have this in "Settings"? e.g. Settings-Connections-MobileNetworks-NetworkMode Also, will my phone even bother with 2G if LTE, 4G, or 3G is available?

Stingrays already work with 4g. And 5g has many of the same flaws, likely on purpose. We can only hope common criminals will start massively exploiting them if we want real change to happen.

What flaws are there, exactly? Missing mutual authentication are the main cause for 2G's security issues. There are no trivial MitM attacks on 3G and 4G - besides denial of service that may result in downgrades. There are location and identity leaks, but that's user tracking at best. Not to compare with 2G.

What am I missing here?

Re: How to Block Stingray Devices

#17

Post by jsjsoaofnfn »

coretx wrote: post #15

When sincerely concerned about stingray devices it might be a better idea to either invest in a professional detection appliance or to install applications such as AIMSICD. ( foss/free) If you only deny 2g connectivity; it provides no certainty against being stung and you won't know if you are a target. https://github.com/CellularPrivacy/Android-IMSI-Catcher-Dete...

Do you have information on professional detection equipment?

Detection apps are known to be ineffective. It's mostly because IMSI catchers comply with the standard. Your baseband will fall for that - there's not much useful information to be passed to the operating system - or even an app.

Re: How to Block Stingray Devices

#19

Post by coretx »

jsjsoaofnfn wrote: post #17
coretx wrote: post #15

When sincerely concerned about stingray devices it might be a better idea to either invest in a professional detection appliance or to install applications such as AIMSICD. ( foss/free) If you only deny 2g connectivity; it provides no certainty against being stung and you won't know if you are a target. https://github.com/CellularPrivacy/Android-IMSI-Catcher-Dete...

Do you have information on professional detection equipment? Detection apps are known to be ineffective. It's mostly because IMSI catchers comply with the standard. Your baseband will fall for that - there's not much useful information to be passed to the operating system - or even an app.

Most firms who sell lawfull interception appliances also sell the appliances required to protect, detect or mitigate against it. Usually they only sell their appliances to law enforcement, the militairy and intelligence agencies after signing a NDA. The legality is often dubious, and atleast some are nothing but a expensive user friendly box around GNU radio, osmocom and very little code of their own. ( But my knowledge could be dated. ) If you so desire mail me for a list of names, but i'd rather not post them here connected to my identity.

Re: How to Block Stingray Devices

#20

Post by pjc50 »

qwerty456127 wrote: post #5

> So they stand between you and the tower and sift through the transmission first. This means they can now intercept data on that transmission. I don’t know what they can do with it, and there is no real clear information on what data they can get. They do say metadata and access the cellphones internal storage, so that is enough to want to block the Stingray. Cellphones internal storage? Seriously?

"Service update" SMS messages can write certain things to the SIM card and other aspects of the phone without user interaction.

(this machinery is rather hard to google for and I'm not sure if it has a better name in the official GSM documents)

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