Data WIRED collected during the 2024 Democratic National Convention strongly suggests the use of a cell-site simulator, a controversial spy device that intercepts sensitive data from every phone in its range.

Data WIRED collected during the 2024 Democratic National Convention strongly suggests the use of a cell-site simulator, a controversial spy device that intercepts sensitive data from every phone in its range.

  • JWBananas@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    5 days ago

    Show us the raw data or fuck off.

    While Rayhunter didn’t pick up any suspicious cellular infrastructure, our other equipment detected three new cell towers that hadn’t been there the day before. According to Quintin, because Rayhunter did not detect any suspicious behaviors, these towers were likely “cell on wheels,” aka COWs, temporary cell towers that companies roll out to provide extra cellular coverage during large events.

    Trying to exhaustively log eNodeB IDs will never be a reliable way to do this. New eNB IDs are added to networks nearly every week.

    a device carried by WIRED reporters en route a hotel housing Democratic delegates from states in the US Midwest abruptly switched to a new tower. That tower asked for the device’s IMSI and then immediately disconnected—a sequence consistent with the operation of a cell-site simulator.

    Again, raw data or fuck off. User Equipment (UE) will not “abruptly” switch unless it suddenly loses signal (suddenly as in someone physically cut power to the base station) or the modem crashed. The network directs the user equipment remotely.