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There's a hidden Android setting that spots fake cell towers
- deleted 9mo ago[deleted]
- pwndByDeath 9mo agoI set up a rayhunter, not so worried about myself, but more an early warning if something was to change in the area
- FuriouslyAdrift 9mo agoReference in case anyone's interested: https://github.com/EFForg/rayhunter https://github.com/EFForg/rayhunter
- nickthegreek 9mo agoI believe you need an activate sim in order for it to work correctly, is that correct?
- buran77 9mo agoIs something similar available in iOS? Apple's full control over the hardware and software should make it easier than in the Android ecosystem. > software can only do so much. For these security features to work, your phone's modem has to be able to communicate with the Android OS in a very specific way > Because of this hardware requirement, the full suite of these network security tools is currently exclusive to the Pixel 10 series
- bobse 9mo ago[dead]
- zugi 9mo agoMany years ago browsers started alerting users to HTTP (vs HTTPS) connections and HTTPS sites using invalid or untrusted certificates. How is it possible that in 2026 we're not notified by default when we connect to a cell tower with no certificate so our communications is being broadcast into the air completely unencrypted?
- shimman 9mo agoYou're asking why a government, that is already known for massive surveillance, wants devices that nearly 100% of the population owns to be completely unencrypted?
- tootie 9mo agoThere's no indication government is behind this and given that Google is rolling out tools now to protect against it this was probably always doable and just never prioritized.
- betty_staples 9mo agorelevant lesser known fact - 3G crypto is broken. In such a way that is a bit suspicious - a couple terabyte-sized rainbow table will crack it. I found a guy with the tables at one point, it's buried deep on the internet -- but this for example -- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6645525 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6645525
- OptionOfT 9mo agoIsn't it the case that disabling 2G on its own is enough to block these issues? Like the notifications are nice, but they're not a Allow / Deny popup. When you get the popup your data could've been intercepted.
- wiredpancake 9mo agoPotentially, although my phone only has the following options when selecting what "Network Mode" to use: - 5G/4G/3G/2G (Auto Connect) - 4G/3G/2G (Auto Connect) - 3G/2G (Auto Connect) - 3G Only Flagship Samsung from the last 3 years. I have to expose myself to 2G, despite no 2G towers being active in my country. We don't even have 3G anymore either.
- MollyRealized 9mo agoAs far as I've been able to determine, the main feature this article speaks to is not even on the Pixel 9 - it is only a feature on the Pixel 10.
- no-reply 9mo ago> Because of this hardware requirement, the full suite of these network security tools is currently exclusive to the Pixel 10 series. They can be found under the “Mobile Network Security” section in the system settings.
- dataflow 9mo agoI believe it's available on Pixel 9 Pro, at least. You might need a recent update, not sure.
- dataflow 9mo agoThing is, what're you gonna do about it when you see it? Edit: whatever the answer is, it needs to work when this pops up frequently, because it will.
- LexiMax 9mo agoCompletely unrelated thought, but it sure is a crying shame that goatse.cx died. :(
- 3eb7988a1663 9mo agoInteresting question for sure. Given the implied budgets for domestic surveillance, are there any metropolitan areas which do not have fake towers?
- Muromec 9mo agoWhat is the point of stringrays anyway? It's a thing that exists, so I believe it does something, but I can't figure out what exactly. They can go through the area, catch a whole bag of IMSIs and then.... what? What capability does it enable? Knowing when a certain person of interest shows up in a certain locality? Can't they get it from the phone company without a warrant anyways, just by asking nicely? If it's not targeted, what the data is even used for theoretically?
- c420 9mo agoReal time collection and less legal friction?
- yndoendo 9mo agoStingrays are use to intercept calls in real time. They are used by police and foreign intelligence agencies. It allows them to listen in on political calls. Washington DC is a haven for fake cell phone towers. I found out the LEO in the area I was in had at least one. I saw a police car parked in the area I was in. Very out of place and would only be there if there was a house call. Decided to test the waters, went out side, paced back and forth, and kept talk. His face and body language changed dramatically which let me know he was using a Stringray and I was the current target without a warrant.
- catlifeonmars 9mo ago> the attacker can harvest device information and force your phone onto an older, unencrypted protocol. This is why you should always toggle the setting that disables 2g/3g fallback. With 4G, for example, your device will refuse to connect fully unless the network can pass the cryptographic challenge that proves it shares the key material included in your SIM card (I know, I know, symmetric keys are not ideal). The best an attacker can hope to do in 4G+ is harvest your subscriber ID (IMSI) or deny you service while you are in range.
- CGMthrowaway 9mo agoOnly way I know how to do this on iPhone is to enable "Lockdown Mode" which also removes images from messages, etc. Is there another way?
- catlifeonmars 9mo agoAFAIK lockdown mode is the only way on iPhone. This will disable 2g, but not 3g.
- dfawcus 9mo agoLockdown mode allows one to optionally disable 2g, maybe it is also the default there. One can turn 2g back on in said mode if desired. As to 3g, it is largely switched off here, and I understand most of the rest of the world is also disabling it. However it does not remove images from messages, it just disables certain automatic helpers - e.g. link previews etc. One can still send photos, etc without any issue.
- catlifeonmars 9mo agoThis doesn’t mitigate the issue that a malicious base station poses by downgrading a phone. It doesn’t matter what the network supports. It matters what the phone supports
- cadamsdotcom 9mo agoGreat! Then you can report them to the police.. oh.
- beezle 9mo agoWouldn't setting your phone to NR/LTE only in the ##4636## service menu prevent this as well (though without a pop up)?
- catlikesshrimp 9mo agoIn the US they disabled 2G. Other countries are doing the same. Thankfully, my country is slow on that. I have some brick phones lying around for when I go in the field. The duration of the battery is like twice on 2g than on 3g on standby (Like two and half to five days; I haven't checked talking time). Granted, that might be phone specific, network specific, or something else specific, but when internet is not needed, I have more use for extra battery than extra security. I know my government has 100% control over my telecomunications. It is a tradition in this country.
- iamin 9mo agoIt’s wild that in 2026 we still aren’t notified about unencrypted connections by default. Learning that SUCI is optional and roaming makes certificate management so difficult was really eye-opening. Great read!
- hulitu 9mo ago> There's a hidden Android setting that spots fake cell towers > Because of this hardware requirement, the full suite of these network security tools is currently exclusive to the Pixel 10 series. So, it is not an "Android setting", it is a "Pixel 10 series" setting.