Abstract
In this chapter, the reader will get an insight into one of the most easily employed techniques of voice, SMS, and identification data interception in GSM networks. Using a fake base station that mimics the behavior of a legitimate base station of the mobile phone operator, a malicious entity can convince mobile phones in a given area to handle their communication to it, effectively launching a man in the middle attack. This attack is possible only in GSM networks, since 3G employs mutual authentication, where the base station too has to authenticate its validity to the handset. However, it is relatively easy to use a jammer, jamming the 3G band. Almost every single mobile phone nowadays is multiband capable and as such it will fall back to GSM operation where it can be intercepted using the fake base station method.
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Androulidakis, I.I. (2016). Voice, SMS, and Identification Data Interception in GSM. In: Mobile Phone Security and Forensics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29742-2_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29742-2_3
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