4 ms·

why bother? Just force the handset down to 2G and intercept that.

by sidewndr46 3y ago

slicktux 3y ago
2G is deprecated so a lot of the newer phones won’t even support that..?
- sidewndr46 3y ago
  I can't even turn off 2G on my relatively new Samsung handset, so I find it hard to believe it is "deprecated". There are likely zero 2G towers in my area, but that doesn't mean handset suppliers don't ship it still.
  - ronsor 3y ago
    As long as there are countries with GSM service, it's not going to stop being shipped.
    - slicktux 3y ago
      Yea relatively speaking…
  - Fnoord 3y ago
    On an Android smartphone you can disable it usually, via *#*#4636#*#* There's a frontend for this on F-Droid if you prefer that [1] [1] https://f-droid.org/en/packages/pl.lebihan.network/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/pl.lebihan.network/
    - sidewndr46 3y ago
      This doesn't work on Samsung phones
- noselasd 3y ago
  Not really no. Newer phones absolutely support 2G.
betaby 3y ago
There is nothing to intercept on 2G in Canada and USA, 2G was decommissioned.
- bryancoxwell 3y ago
  These attacks are generally carried out by a “rogue base station” that simulates being a cell tower. It doesn’t require that there be a local 2G infrastructure.
  - betaby 3y ago
    SIMs from my two different Canadian operator doesn't allow downgrade to 2G for the home networks.
    - sidewndr46 3y ago
      That's pretty cool, any idea how it works?
      - betaby 3y ago
        Authentication profiles. Basically one can specify on the SIM profile that for the certain PLMN (mobile operator) only certain authentication methods are allowed (2G, 3G, 4G use different auth methods).
        sidewndr46 3y ago
        that is good. from what i understand we dont have that in the US
    - dataflow 3y ago
      What prevents these from simulating a non-"home" network?
      - kalleboo 3y ago
OkayPhysicist 3y ago
Surely a phone would rather connect to a moderately strong 3/4/5G tower than a very strong 2G tower, right? So that'd limit you to settings where people otherwise wouldn't have a connection at all. IDK, genuinely curious.
is_true 3y ago
i hope that would be expensive, isnt it?

why bother? Just force the handset down to 2G and intercept that.

slicktux 3y ago

2G is deprecated so a lot of the newer phones won’t even support that..?

sidewndr46 3y ago
I can't even turn off 2G on my relatively new Samsung handset, so I find it hard to believe it is "deprecated". There are likely zero 2G towers in my area, but that doesn't mean handset suppliers don't ship it still.
- ronsor 3y ago
  As long as there are countries with GSM service, it's not going to stop being shipped.
  - slicktux 3y ago
    Yea relatively speaking…
- Fnoord 3y ago
  On an Android smartphone you can disable it usually, via *#*#4636#*#* There's a frontend for this on F-Droid if you prefer that [1] [1] https://f-droid.org/en/packages/pl.lebihan.network/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/pl.lebihan.network/
  - sidewndr46 3y ago
    This doesn't work on Samsung phones
noselasd 3y ago
Not really no. Newer phones absolutely support 2G.

betaby 3y ago

There is nothing to intercept on 2G in Canada and USA, 2G was decommissioned.

bryancoxwell 3y ago
These attacks are generally carried out by a “rogue base station” that simulates being a cell tower. It doesn’t require that there be a local 2G infrastructure.
- betaby 3y ago
  SIMs from my two different Canadian operator doesn't allow downgrade to 2G for the home networks.
  - sidewndr46 3y ago
    That's pretty cool, any idea how it works?
    - betaby 3y ago
      Authentication profiles. Basically one can specify on the SIM profile that for the certain PLMN (mobile operator) only certain authentication methods are allowed (2G, 3G, 4G use different auth methods).
      - sidewndr46 3y ago
        that is good. from what i understand we dont have that in the US
  - dataflow 3y ago
    What prevents these from simulating a non-"home" network?
    - kalleboo 3y ago

OkayPhysicist 3y ago

Surely a phone would rather connect to a moderately strong 3/4/5G tower than a very strong 2G tower, right? So that'd limit you to settings where people otherwise wouldn't have a connection at all. IDK, genuinely curious.

is_true 3y ago

i hope that would be expensive, isnt it?