Researchers Demo New GSM Attacks at Chaos Communications Congress 17
First time accepted submitter aeturnus writes "A new attack on the GSM mobile communications protocol has been demonstrated by Karsten Nohl and Luca Melette of Security Research Labs, based off their previously published attacks around vulnerabilities in the GSM A5/1 encryption protocol. This new attack, which Nohl indicates already in use by criminals, allows an attacker to simulate a GSM mobile and use it to make calls and send text messages. Nohl also discussed protective measures users should take against these attacks, and others in use by intelligence communities around the world." This was just one of many presentations at the 28th Chaos Communications Congress.
Re:Carriers might be able to deal with this (Score:3, Interesting)
What's the difference if it appears on your bill?
I saw Kevin Mitnick do something like this last July. He was giving a talk and asked for two people in the audience to give him their phone numbers. He typed them into his laptop and a couple of seconds later one phone received an SMS from the other one.
Couple this with a few premium-rate phone lines and thieves basically have a license to print money.
Re:Congress (Score:4, Interesting)
When they're scared, they pass horrible acts of legislation that do nothing productive, but ruin the lives of millions. Do you want them to do that to your cell phones?
Absolutely. Joe Sixpack doesn't know what the fuck SOPA is, and couldn't care less how his representatives are voting on it, or who's supporting it. He's never heard of RIAA or MPAA and his idea of a torrent is when the water main bursts down the street. But he has a cell phone, and he's not going to be happy if the government wants to dick around with it.
When stupid laws start interfering with everyone, instead of a few percent of the population, maybe more folks will wake up.