Flaw Lets Hackers Record Cellular Conversations, Track Location
Source: DSL Reports
Over the weekend 60 Minutes raised a few eyebrows with a report claiming that it simply takes a cell phone number to hack most cell phones. In the report, 60 minutes gives a new
iPhone to California Representative Ted Lieu, and then challenged a group of hackers to hack the device. They were immensely successful not because of vulnerabilities in the iPhone, but because of a vulnerability in Signaling System 7 (SS7, or Common Channel Signalling System 7 in the US), a series of protocols first built in 1975 to help connect phone carriers around the world.
The hackers were not only able to track the Representative's location data, but record his conversations.
The flaw isn't new; a group of German hackers
revealed the vulnerability in late 2014 . It's believed that the intelligence community has known about the vulnerability even earlier, and the hackers note that nothing has been done to shore up the flaw since German hacker Karsten Nohl first demonstrated it.
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Read more: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Flaw-Lets-Hackers-Record-Cellular-Conversations-Track-Location-136772
Equinox Moon
(6,344 posts)D Gary Grady
(133 posts)At least for long distance (trunk) phone calls.
Equinox Moon
(6,344 posts)Thanks for telling me. It confirms why I stopped trusting my lan line for privacy a long time ago.
I am learning more and more about this 'new' gov. agency called home land security, and how it adds ten-fold to the NSA. They have made sure US citizens are monitored everywhere at all times. Somehow, no ones seems to think our constitution covers this violation. Have you seen all the cameras in the streets and on buildings etc? Anyway, its easy to get off topic of a thread, which goes against the rules on DU, so I need to stop typing now.
freedom, is a vanishing concept
Oneironaut
(5,492 posts)People should remember that everytime they use their phones or computers. Your data, usage, and calls aren't safe. They never will be. Tech security is an illusion.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)hook in.?