Open Source GSM Cracking Software Released

angry tapir writes "The GSM technology used by the majority of the world's mobile phones will get some scrutiny at next week's Black Hat security conference. An open source effort to develop GSM-cracking software has released software that cracks the A5/1 encryption algorithm used by some GSM networks. Called Kraken, this software uses new, very efficient, encryption cracking tables that allow it to break A5/1 encryption much faster than before."

Comments

TFA focus isn't just encryption...

[rickb928]

TFA also points out that eavesdropping as 'easy' as making a fake tower, getting phones to connect to it, commanding them to drop encryption, and having enough disk space to save the conversations. Not very expensive, and not very difficult.

So this would work well if you brought a fake tower with you to an event, like a convention or even a press conference, and just gather conversations at will. Setting up a tower near the White House would not be impossible, unless they already understand this and have an onsite tower they can secure. The Secret Service is no doubt already working with this, if not already in place. If VZW or Sprint is their most common carrier, well, those are different standards so this is not the problem.

All said and done, it is not impractical to be able to eavesdrop on GSM phones, though it is nontrivial. Data intercept I don't know a lot about.

Re:How ironic

[rotide]

You do realize that net neutrality is the _absence_ of filtering, right?

See, the whole idea is that an ISP that also owns other companies, or is affiliated somehow, can't step in and decide what is and isn't viewable, charge more, etc.