By Joseph Ooi

IMSI Catchers and
Mobile Security
Advisor: Professor Nadia Heninger

EAS 499 Senior Capstone Thesis
School of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Pennsylvania
April 29, 2015

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 2

2

CELL PHONE PROTOCOLS ........................................................ 3
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7

3

CELLULAR NETWORKS ..........................................................................................................................................3
1G (ANALOG) .....................................................................................................................................................3
2G (DIGITAL)......................................................................................................................................................3
GSM PROTOCOL ................................................................................................................................................4
2.5G (GPRS) AND 2.75G (EDGE)........................................................................................................................8
3G (UMTS AND CDMA2000).............................................................................................................................8
4G (WIMAX AND LTE) .......................................................................................................................................9

IMSI CATCHERS .......................................................................... 10
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5

4

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................10
FUNCTIONALITY ................................................................................................................................................10
CAPABILITIES ....................................................................................................................................................12
SUPPLIERS .......................................................................................................................................................13
USAGE ............................................................................................................................................................14

COUNTERMEASURES ................................................................ 18
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7

DETECTION INDICATORS .....................................................................................................................................18
SECURE MOBILE PHONES....................................................................................................................................21
MOBILE PHONE SOFTWARE.................................................................................................................................24
STANDALONE HARDWARE ...................................................................................................................................25
ANDROID CELL TOWER ENUMERATION APP ...........................................................................................................26
UPGRADING OF 2G NETWORKS AND PHONE CAPABILITIES ........................................................................................28
WIRELESS NETWORK PROVIDERS..........................................................................................................................29

5

CONCLUSION ............................................................................... 31

6

APPENDIX ...................................................................................... 32
6.1
6.2
6.3

LIST OF FEDERAL AGENCIES KNOWN TO USE IMSI CATCHERS .....................................................................................32
XCELL TECHNOLOGIES’ STEALTH PHONE PRICES AND CAPABILITIES .............................................................................33
DATA COLLECTION APP SOURCE CODE SNIPPET .......................................................................................................34

WORKS CITED .................................................................................... 38

1

 1

INTRODUCTION

IMSI catchers are radio devices that pose as fake cellular base stations and exploit
vulnerabilities in 2G telecommunications networks on the GSM standard in order to intercept
mobile phone traffic. They are widely used by state and federal agencies across the United States
and are also suspected of being deployed by private and criminal organizations in illegal ways.
This paper sets out to understand how IMSI catchers work and what kind of contexts they are
employed in, as well as to investigate the countermeasures currently available against IMSI
catchers and their impact on mobile communications.
The next section provides a brief outline of cell phone networks, protocols, and standards,
from the first generation of wireless communications to current 4G standards. Section 3 delves
into IMSI catchers, how they work, and how they have been used. Section 4 explores the various
countermeasures that are available against IMSI catchers. Finally, Section 5 summarizes the
implications of IMSI catchers on cellular security.

2

 2

CELL PHONE PROTOCOLS

2.1

Cellular Networks

A cellular network is a radio network distributed over land areas called “cells”. Each cell
is served by one fixed-location transceiver, which is called a “base station”. When cells are joined
together, they provide wireless coverage over a large geographic area, within which mobile
stations or phones can communicate with base stations and each other. Overlapping coverage areas
allows transmission to be maintained even when mobile stations are moving between cells.
Assigning a different set of frequencies to neighboring cells avoids wireless signal interference.
2.2

1G (analog)

The first generation of mobile telecommunication standards was introduced in the 1980s.
The radio signals used in these networks were analog and only allowed for the basic call
functionality. In North America, Bell Labs developed the first cellular network standard, the
Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) system, in 1983 [1]. AMPS became the dominant 1G
standard in North America and continued to be supported by major telecommunications companies
like AT&T and Verizon until eventually discontinued in 2008. Other 1G standards worldwide
include NMT, TACS, C-450, Radiocom 2000, RTMI, JTACS, TZ-801, TZ-802, and TZ-803.
The AMPS standard is based on Frequency-Division Multiple Access (FDMA), which
assigns unique frequencies, or “channels”, to each phone conversation. AMPS also enabled call
centers to assign frequencies to mobile stations based on signal strength, allowing frequencies to
be re-used in various locations without interference. This greatly increased the number of mobile
phones which could be supported in any particular geographic region [2].
2.3

2G (digital)

Following the first generation of wireless communication networks, the GSM (General
System for Mobile communications) standard1, developed by ETSI (European
Telecommunications Standards Institute), was the first 2G technology to replace the 1G analog
standard. In 1991, GSM was first implemented in Finland by the operator Radiolinja. By 1998,
GSM was being used all over the world with more than 100 million subscribers [3]. In 2015, GSM
is the most widely-used technology for wireless networks worldwide, with over 90% market share
and more than 6 billion subscribers across at least 219 countries [4].

1

Originally Groupe Spécial Mobile, GSM was renamed following the worldwide adoption of the GSM standard.

3

 Figure 1: GSM World Coverage Map [5]

GSM significantly increased network capacity by using the assigned frequency bandwidth
more efficiently. It also introduced mobile data services and enabled functionality such as SMS
(Short Message System) texting, MMS (Multi Media Messages), voice mail, call forwarding, and
other features. Estimates of 2G technologies data rates range from 9.6 to 28.8 KB/s [6]. Finally,
2G GSM enabled digital encryption of wireless communications, in contrast to 1G AMPS, which
lacked encryption and was completely vulnerable to wireless eavesdropping.
Other major 2G standards include IS-95 (a.k.a. cdmaOne), PDC, iDEN and IS-136 (a.k.a.
D-AMPS). Based on the way the technology shares the frequency bandwidth over multiple
channels (multiplexing), these technologies can be divided into Time Division Multiple Access
(TDMA)-based and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)-based standards [7].
Not all United States service providers use GSM technology. Sprint and Verizon, two of
the largest service providers, use CDMA technology rather than GSM. This provides them with
some immunity against IMSI catchers. During Def Con in 2010, where Chris Paget demonstrated
a $1,500 homebuilt IMSI catcher, he explained that cell phones on the Sprint and Verizon networks
would not connect to a fake cell tower [8]. This is likely due to the fact that SIM cards issued by
Sprint and Verizon will not respond to GSM protocol requests and, thus, be immune to the IMSI
catcher attack.
2.4

GSM Protocol

Since current models of IMSI catchers function almost exclusively by exploiting
vulnerabilities in the GSM protocol, this section will delve into the details of how GSM networks
function. The exact way IMSI catchers exploit these vulnerabilities is further discussed in Section
3.

4

 2.4.1 Network Components
For simplicity, a GSM network can be understood as consisting of 4 main types of network
components (see Figure 2), as described in [9]:
1) Mobile Stations (MS)
The Mobile Station is a cell phone or other mobile device equipped with a removable SIM
(Subscriber Identification Module) smartcard. Each SIM card is uniquely identified by its IMSI
(International Mobile Subscriber Identity) number [10], which is usually a 15 digit number
consisting of:
 A 3-digit Mobile Country Code (MCC)
 A 2- or 3-digit Mobile Network Code (MNC), and
 The Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (MSIN)
The mobile device itself can also be uniquely identified by its IMEI (International Mobile
Equipment Identity) number. This allows identification and rejection of stolen phones. Finally, the
SIM card also stores 3 additional pieces of security-related data:
 The authentication algorithm A3
 The key generation algorithm A8
 A 128 bit long-term secret key Ki that is used in both algorithms and also shared with the
GSM network
2) Base Stations (BS)
Also known as “cell towers” or “cell sites”, Base Stations communicate directly with
Mobile Stations and each Base Station essentially manages one “cell” in the cellular network. The
size of each cell can range from a few hundred yards to several miles, depending on the geographic
features in the area, which would expand or limit transmission capabilities accordingly, and the
required call capacity. In densely-populated urban areas, more cells are required per unit area in
order to serve more customers on the assigned frequency spectrum. Base Stations also manage
encryption and decryption of communication data.
3) Base Station Controllers (BSC)
Each Base Station Controller manages several Base Stations. When a Mobile Station
moves between cells during a call, the “handoff” is managed by either a Base Station Controller
or Mobile Switching Center.
4) Mobile Switching Centers (MSC)
Mobile Switching Centers have the main role of mobility management in each GSM
network. There are 4 databases that they draw on:
 Home Location Register (HLR): Each GSM network has only one HLR. The HLR stores
the personal information of all subscribers in the GSM network, including their IMSI.
 Visitor Location Register (VLR): Each MSC has its own VLR, which stores the personal
information of subscribers under the jurisdiction of the respective MSC.
 Authentication Center (AuC): The AuC stores the access data of every subscriber on the
network, in particular, the long-term secret key Ki of each SIM card.
5

 

Equipment Identity Register (EIR): This stores IMEI numbers of banned or stolen phones
to prevent them from accessing the GSM network.

Figure 2: Simplified GSM network architecture [9]

2.4.2 Authentication and Encryption
When a Mobile Station tries to access the network, it must authenticate itself to the Base
Station, although the reverse is not required. This procedure is outlined in Figure 3 below.
First, the Mobile Station sends its security capabilities to the VLR (through the Base
Station). This tells the network what A5 encryption protocols it is capable of. The VLR then sends
the Mobile Station an Identity Request command, which induces the Mobile Station to respond
with its IMSI number. Now having the IMSI, the VLR then sends an authentication parameter
request to the HLR which is forwarded to the AuC. The AuC first generates a 128 bit random
number, RAND, and calculates a 32 bit signed response SRES based on RAND and the stored
long-term secret key Ki that corresponds to the respective SIM:
𝑆𝑅𝐸𝑆 = 𝐴3(𝑅𝐴𝑁𝐷, 𝐾𝑖 ) [𝑉𝐿𝑅]
The AuC also generates a 64 bit session key Kc using the algorithm A8:
𝐾𝑐 = 𝐴8(𝑅𝐴𝑁𝐷) [𝑉𝐿𝑅]
The random number RAND, signed response SRES, and session key Kc are sent back to
the VLR. However, only RAND is passed back to the Mobile Station. Using the secret key Ki
stored in its SIM card, the Mobile Station can calculate:
𝑆𝑅𝐸𝑆 ′ = 𝐴3(𝑅𝐴𝑁𝐷, 𝐾𝑖 ) [𝑆𝐼𝑀]
The Mobile Station then sends SRES’ back to the VLR. If SRES and SRES’ do not match,
the authentication request is rejected. Otherwise, it is accepted and the VLR assigns the Mobile
Station a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) and tells it what cipher mode A5 to use.

6

 The possible cipher modes include:
 A5/0 – no encryption
 A5/1
 A5/2
 A5/3 – based on the KASUMI algorithm
The TMSI is intended to increase security by reducing the number of times the IMSI is
broadcasted, and serves to identify the Mobile Station in future transactions with the VLR.2
If any option other than A5/0 is chosen, the Mobile Station calculates the session key Kc
using the A8 algorithm on the input RAND, as shown above. The chosen A5 algorithm is then
used to encrypt all subsequent communication between the Mobile Station and Base Station:
𝐶𝐼𝑃𝐻𝐸𝑅 = 𝐴5(𝐾𝑐 , 𝑀𝐸𝑆𝑆𝐴𝐺𝐸)
The session key Kc continues to be used as long as no new authentication request is
initiated. When this occurs is determined by the individual network operators. In practice, the same
session key may stay in use for quite some time, extending to subsequent calls.

Figure 3: GSM Authentication Procedure [9]

Note that when the Mobile Station is “roaming” (connected to a visiting network instead of its home network), since
the visiting network does not recognize its TMSI, it must resend its IMSI to the visiting network, who will then
communicate with its home network to authenticate its identity, before assigning the Mobile Station its own TMSI.
2

7

 2.4.3 GSM vulnerabilities
At a glance, the GSM authentication procedure exposes a few vulnerabilities, which
include the following:
 The one-way authentication process requires the Mobile Station to authenticate itself to the
Base Station, but does not require a Base Station to verify its identity to the Mobile Station.
 From the advent of the GSM standard, the algorithms A3, A5 and A8 have been kept a
secret instead of being subject to public scrutiny. They have only been discovered through
reverse engineering and information leaks, allowing weaknesses to be discovered in the
algorithms. Real-time cryptanalysis of A5/1 on a PC has been shown to be possible, and
the successor algorithm A5/2 has been shown to be even more insecure [11].
The exact exploitation of these vulnerabilities by IMSI catchers will be more extensively
discussed in Section 3.
2.5

2.5G (GPRS) and 2.75G (EDGE)

Since 2G networks were primarily built for voice services, data transmission capabilities
were relatively slow. The first improvement on GSM networks came with the use of GPRS
(General Packet Radio Service) networks that implemented a packet-switched domain in addition
to the existing circuit-switched domain. GPRS allowed for a theoretical maximum transfer speed
of 115 KB/s, but closer to 35 KB/s in reality [12].
The next improvement came in the form of EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM
Evolution), with the introduction of 8PSK encoding. In 2003, this backward-compatible
technology was first deployed on top of existing GSM networks by AT&T in the United States.
EDGE allowed for a theoretical maximum transfer speed of 473 KB/s, but closer to 135 KB/s in
reality [13]. Although EDGE meets the requirements for 3G technology, it is still considered 2.75G
because most other 3G technologies still provide significantly faster data transmission rates.
2.6

3G (UMTS and CDMA2000)

Mobile networks that comply with the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000
(IMT-2000) specifications laid down by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) may
be branded as 3G technologies. In 2001, the first commercial launch of 3G took place in Japan by
NTT DoCoMo [14]. As of 2013, estimates of the number of 3G and 4G subscriptions range from
between 1.7 to 2.1 billion out of approximately 7.0 billion mobile subscriptions, suggesting that
current global 3G market penetration is still under 30% [15].
The UMTS system, standardized by 3GPP, is most prevalent in regions dominated by 2G
GSM infrastructure, including Europe, Japan, and China. It includes several available radio
interfaces, including W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA (only in China), HSPA, and HSPA+, the last of
which can provide data rates of up to 21-42 MB/s [16].

8

 The other major 3G technology is the CDMA2000 system, standardized by 3GPP2, most
prevalent in regions dominated by the 2G IS-95 standard, including North America and Sotuh
Korea. The latest EVDO Rev B allows for peak data rates of 14.7 MB/s [17].
While ITU does not specify a minimum data rate for 3G technologies, it states an
expectation that IMT-2000 technologies will provide transmission rates at a minimum speed of 2
MB/s for stationary or walking users and 348 KB/s for moving vehicles [6]. The increased
bandwidth and location information on 3G networks also enable additional features, including
GPS (Global Positioning System), location-based services, video on demand, and video
conferencing.
Finally, 3G networks also offer additional security features. Most crucially, mobile stations
are allowed to authenticate the network that they are connecting to in order prevent cell tower
spoofing [18]. Additionally, 3G networks use the KASUMI block cipher (similar to the A5/3
cipher) as opposed to the A5/1 cipher [19].
Nevertheless, some vulnerabilities have also been reported in 3G security. In 2010,
Dunkelman, Keller, and Shamir demonstrated a practical “sandwich attack” on A5/3 encryption
using a single PC and in under two hours [19].3 In addition, Meyer and Wetzel demonstrated in
2005 a man-in-the-middle attack that could exploit inter-operating GSM/UMTS networks [20].
2.7

4G (WiMAX and LTE)

4G technologies are specified by the International Telecommunications Union-Radio
communications sector (ITU-R) in the International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMTAdvanced) specifications. In contrast to earlier generations of wireless technologies, 4G systems
require all communication to be Internet Protocol (IP)-based, such as Voice over IP (VoIP), and
does not support traditional circuit-switched telephony. Requirements for peak speed data rates are
100 MB/s on trains and cars and 1 GB/s for stationary users and pedestrians [21].
The two main 4G technologies in the market are Mobile WiMAX, first deployed in South
Korea in 2007, and Long Term Evolution (LTE), first deployed in Norway and Sweden in 2009.
Currently, both technologies do not provide the expected data rates as specified by IMT-Advanced.
LTE offers theoretical peak download and upload speeds of 300 and 75 MB/s respectively [22],
whilst Mobile WiMAX offers theoretical peak rates of 70 MB/s [23]. Network operators
nevertheless brand these technologies 4G as they represent a new generation of non-backwardcompatible wireless technologies. In 2010, ITU-R recognized that these technologies could be
considered 4G by acting as forerunners to the IMT-Advanced standard and a substantial level of
improvement over current 3G systems [24]. In the United States, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and
Sprint all employ LTE networks. Sprint still uses Mobile WiMAX, but plans to shut it off by the
end of 2015 [25].

3

Interestingly, the MISTY algorithm that KASUMI is based off remains unbroken.

9

 3

IMSI CATCHERS

3.1

Introduction

Attacks on GSM include cracking GSM encryption, passive GSM interception, and active
GSM interception. IMSI catchers fall into the last category, actively interfering in communications
between mobile phones and base stations by acting as a transceiver (simultaneously transmitting
and receiving). IMSI catchers use a “man-in-the-middle” attack, simultaneously posing as the fake
mobile phone to the real base station and as the fake base station to the real mobile phone.
IMSI catchers are able to determine the IMSI numbers of mobile phones in its vicinity,
which is the trademark capability from which their name is derived. Using the IMSI, they can then
identify mobile traffic on the network and target traffic for interception and analysis.
The most famous IMSI catchers are StingRay devices sold by the Harris Corporation to
various government agencies in the United States. Thus, IMSI catchers have also come to be
generally known as “stingrays”. They have also been called “cell site simulators” or “cell site
emulators”, especially among law enforcement agencies [26].
3.2

Functionality

Although the implementation of different IMSI catchers may vary, the section below
attempts to highlight how most IMSI catchers function, as laid out in [9], [27], [28], and [29].
3.2.1 Obtaining the IMSI
Whenever there is more than one Base Station belonging to the home network in the
vicinity, GSM mobile phones will always connect to the Base Station that is emitting the strongest
signal. Thus, by transmitting a sufficiently strong signal, an IMSI catcher will cause every mobile
phone within a small radius to connect to it.
The IMSI catcher then acts like a Base Station. First, the Mobile Station is induced to send
its encryption capabilities to the Base Station, which can be ignored. Then, the IMSI catcher sends
an Identity Request command to the Mobile Station, which is forced to respond with its IMSI.4
3.2.2 Initiating network connection
The IMSI catcher can now connect to the network by sending a Location Update Request.5
When the network responds with an Identity Request, the IMSI catcher can respond with the stolen
IMSI.

4

There is a similar procedure that can be used for forcing transmission of the IMEI.
This procedure allows the mobile station to inform the cellular network whenever it moves from one location to the
next, so that the network can continue to keep it connected through the nearest base station.
5

10

 The network then sends the IMSI catcher the challenge RAND. Since it does not have the
secret key Ki, the IMSI catcher is initially unable to respond.
3.2.3 Completing Mobile Station connection
Instead, it forwards RAND to the Mobile Station as a challenge, following up the last
communication in Section 3.2.1. The Mobile Station, having the relevant Ki, calculates the signed
response SRES and sends this back to the IMSI catcher. At this point, since the IMSI catcher does
not need to verify SRES, it can ignore the response, accept the authentication by the Mobile Station
and complete the connection.6
Since the base station determines the encryption mode in the GSM protocol, the IMSI
catcher can set the cipher mode to A5/0 (no encryption). It then allocates an arbitrary TMSI to the
Mobile Station and accepts the Location Update. From here on, the IMSI catcher can communicate
with the Mobile Station and easily gain access to outgoing calls.
3.2.4 Completing network connection
With the signed response from the Mobile Station, the IMSI catcher also forwards SRES’
to the network, which completes the authentication procedure with the network.
If the network tries to set an encryption mode A5/1 to A5/3, the IMSI catcher can suppress
encryption by declaring that it has no encryption capabilities, defaulting to A5/0 instead. The IMSI
catcher can now communicate with the network.
Alternatively, given the vulnerabilities of the A5/1, A5/2 and A5/3 algorithms, newer IMSI
catchers also have the option of breaking the encryption in practical time and communicating with
the network with the assigned encryption algorithm. The A5/1 is vulnerable to precomputation
attacks using rainbow tables, which are publicly available [30]. This allows for machines with 2
GB RAM and a 2 TB hard drive to obtain the secret key in approximately 2 minutes [29]. Due to
serious vulnerabilities in the A5/2 algorithm, the GSM Association explicitly prohibited its use in
2006 and it is no longer implemented on GSM networks [31]. For the A5/3 algorithm, although
practical attacks have been demonstrated, these are unlikely to be fast enough for IMSI catchers
to use [19].
3.2.5 Cell Imprisonment
Once the IMSI catcher has completed the connection to a Mobile Station, it can try to
prevent the Mobile Station from connecting to another base station. Base Stations usually make a
list of other Base Stations nearby (“neighboring cell list”) available to allow phones to easily and
seamlessly switch between cells. The IMSI catcher can instead transmit an empty neighbor list or
a list with neighboring base stations that are unavailable to the Mobile Station.
6

If completing the connection with the Base Station is not required, the IMSI catcher can also choose to generate its
own random challenge RAND and send RAND to the Mobile Station. After the MS responds with SRES, the IMSI
catcher can simply ignore SRES and accept authentication, then continue to complete the connection with the Mobile
Station.

11

 Figure 4: Man-in-the-middle attack using an IMSI catcher [9]

3.3

Capabilities

The initial function of the IMSI catcher is to obtain the IMSI numbers of cell phones
operating in the vicinity, as the name suggests. This can also be performed on 3G networks (see
Section 4.6).
Next, because base stations do not need to authenticate themselves to mobile phones in the
GSM protocol (as explained in Section 3.2.3), it is trivial for IMSI catchers to obtain outgoing
information from the mobile phone and communicate directly with the mobile phone, acting as the
phone network and relaying fake information from the network to the mobile phone.
More advanced functions require a full man-in-the-middle attack, with the IMSI catchers
authenticating themselves (as mobile phones) to the phone network and relaying both outgoing
and incoming communications. Capabilities of IMSI catchers vary widely with the technological
12

 complexity of the device, even among law enforcement agencies. The sheriff’s department in
Maricopa Country, Arizona, claimed in 2011 that their StingRays only allowed them to pinpoint a
cell phone’s location and did not grant the ability to listen in on conversations [32]. Dirtboxes used
by the U.S. Marshals Service on planes can pinpoint a suspect’s cell phone down to approximately
10 feet.
More advanced IMSI catchers are able to intercept texts and eavesdrop on calls [27]. They
may also be capable of intercepting data transmissions, including numbers dialed, web pages
visited and other such information [33]. IMSI catchers are often equipped with jamming equipment
(in order to force 3G and 4G phones down to a 2G connection) and other such denial-of-service
capabilities [34]. Some IMSI catchers may be able to retrieve files from the target phone, such as
photos and texts [35].
Based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency (NSA)
had already developed a technique in 2004 to locate cell phones even when they were turned off,
called “The Find”, mostly used to locate terrorist suspects [36]. This was accomplished through
the use of IMSI catchers, which could wirelessly send a command to the phone’s baseband chip to
fake any shutdown and stay on [37]. The phone could then be instructed to keep just the
microphone on, in order to eavesdrop on conversations, or periodically send location pings. The
only hint that the phone was still on was if it continued to feel warm even though it had been shut
off, suggesting that the baseband processor was still running. IMSI catchers used by London’s
Metropolitan Police are also reportedly able to shut down targeted phones remotely [38].
3.4

Suppliers

In 1996, the German company Rohde & Schwarz started selling the first IMSI catcher, GA
090. It allowed the user to force an unidentified subscriber to transmit the SIM’s IMSI. In 1997,
the next model, GA 900, additionally allowed the user to tap outgoing phone calls.
Currently, GSMK (who sells the CryptoPhone that protects against IMSI catchers) claims
that they know of at least six different companies producing IMSI catcher devices. Most of these
commercially available IMSI catchers are approximately the size of a household Internet router.
The most well-known manufacturer of IMSI catchers is Harris Corporation, which first
developed the StingRay device for the military and intelligence community. The original StingRay
costs $68,479 and the StingRay II costs $134,952 [34]. Its devices are only sold to law enforcement
and government agencies [32].

Figure 5: Harris Corporation's StingRay II [39]

13

 Digital Receiver Technology, Inc. (DRT), formerly known as Utica Systems [40], also
designs and sells IMSI catchers to U.S. law enforcement agencies [35], in addition to a wide range
of other antennas, transceiver systems and software-defined radios. Their device, the DRTBOX
(pronounced “dirtbox”), has been used in a U.S. Marshals Service program to scan thousands of
cell phones from overhead planes (see Section 3.5.1).
Meganet Corporation, a data security company, sells the VME Dominator, which offers a
full suite of IMSI catcher features including “voice manipulation, up or down channel blocking,
text intercept and modification, calling & sending text on behalf of the user, and directional finding
of a user during random monitoring of calls” [41]. In accordance with federal law 47 U.S.C. 302a,
Meganet only sells these products to U.S. government agencies and authorized parties.
The Gamma Group is an international firm that manufactures and sells surveillance and
monitoring technology [42]. In 2013, leaked brochures showed that it also sold body-worn IMSI
catchers measuring just 41 x 33 x 18 cm [43]. However, the body-worn IMSI appears only to be
able to obtain IMSI numbers, whilst other devices (also sold by the Gamma Group) are required
in order to intercept calls and SMS.
Septier, which produces solutions for the security and telecommunications market, also
markets full-size and mini IMSI catchers. They also have an add-on 3G module that allows for
extraction of IMSI numbers from 3G cell phones [44]. However, it is unclear if the 3G module
allows for the tapping of cell phones on 3G connections.
PKI also sells both a GSM IMSI catcher and a 3G UMTS IMSI catcher. The PKI 3G IMSI
catcher appears to function by jamming the 3G signal and “redirecting [the phones] to specific
GSM frequencies, in order to monitor the conversation” [45].
In 2010, white hat hacker Chris Paget (now known as Kristin Paget) famously
demonstrated at the RSA Security Conference in San Francisco that it was possible to build a
homemade IMSI catcher for about $1,500 using a software-defined radio, two directional antennas,
and a laptop running OpenBTS and Asterisk [46].
3.5

Usage

Users of the CryptoPhone have reported multiple potential IMSI catchers operating from
all over the United States. In 2014, Popular Science published a map of 17 fake cell towers detected
by CryptoPhones over the course of a single month, shown below in Figure 6 [47]. This created a
buzz of excitement and alarm among the security community because it suggested that the use of
IMSI catchers was much more widespread than previously anticipated. One CryptoPhone user
reported detecting up to 8 fake cell towers when driving from Florida to North Carolina. During
other test runs with the CryptoPhone in Washington, D.C., up to 18 IMSI catchers were detected
over two days of driving in the city [48].

14

 Figure 6: Locations of 17 IMSI catchers detected across the U.S [47]

Figure 7: Locations of 18 IMSI catchers detected in Washington, D.C. [48]

In March 2015, ESD America reported that they had found 54 IMSI catchers, up from the
initial number of 17 [49].
IMSI catchers are known to be used by government agencies, foreign governments, and
criminal organizations alike.
3.5.1 By Home Government Agencies
StingRay devices, manufactured by the Harris Corporation, have been notoriously used by
law enforcement agencies in the United States for at least the past 20 years, particularly by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) [50]. In a 2009 case, an FBI agent described using cell site
15

 emulators more than 300 times over the course of a decade [51]. Figure 8 below shows 21 states
in which state and/or local police have been known to use IMSI catchers [52]. A list of the federal
agencies that have been known to use IMSI catchers can also be found in Appendix 6.1.
Police departments have used these devices to track cell phones, particularly stolen ones
[53]. In some cases, the police have mistakenly entered houses and arrested civilians at gunpoint
before realizing that the StingRay had identified the wrong apartment.
In December 2014, protestors in Chicago expressed their outrage at the grand jury’s
decision not to indict the New York Police Department officer who had choked Eric Garner to
death in a controversial incident. On the streets, participants reported seeing a van follow the
protest and messing up their cell phone connections whenever it drove by [54]. The hacker group
Anonymous later released a recording of police radio transmissions revealing that they had been
tapping cell phone activity at the protests [55]. Speculators suspect that the Chicago Police
Department were using a StingRay device in the van to monitor cell phone use at the protests.

Figure 8: Police use of IMSI catchers by state [52]

In 2014, a Wall Street Journal article revealed that since 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service
had been flying Cessna planes equipped with IMSI catchers made by DRT, also known as
“dirtboxes” [35]. On each of these flights, the dirtboxes collect the IMSI numbers and locations of
tens of thousands of cell phones. They are also capable of focusing their information gathering on
suspects and “letting go” of non-suspect phones. Justice Department officials have neither
confirmed nor denied such a program and it is unclear how closely they are monitoring it.
Government use of StingRays has historically been kept a close secret. In the past, law
enforcement agencies used to assert that a probable-cause warrant was not required to employ
StingRay devices because they did not intercept the contents of calls and texts, but only collected
16

 header information [51]. Published records show that police departments have frequently used
StingRays without seeking warrants beforehand [56] [57]. When they do, they have been known
to describe StingRays as “pen register devices”, which merely record all numbers called from a
particular phone number, grossly misrepresenting the capabilities of their StingRays.
Before selling their devices, Harris Corporation has required law enforcement officials to
sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) that barred them from revealing almost anything about the
technology [58]. The FBI has cited these NDAs as a basis for withholding information about the
technical specifications of StingRays, even from judges [59]. After loaning StingRays to the
Sarasota and the North Point Police departments in Florida, the U.S. Marshals Service instructed
them to conceal the use of the devices in court documents, simply stating that information was
received “from a confidential source regarding the location of the suspect” [60]. In some cases,
they have even been willing to drop criminal charges rather than risk sharing information about
cell site simulators [26]. Multiple civil liberties organizations have since requested information
about StingRays under the Freedom of Information Act, and in 2015, TheBlot Magazine received
a heavily redacted copy of a 2010 StingRay user manual, with nearly all of the information blotted
out [39].
With increased public scrutiny of StingRays in recent years, several states have specifically
mandated the requirements of warrants in order to use the devices, with more looking to pass
similar bills [61] [62] [63]. The FBI has also publicly announced that it requires a search warrant
in order to use StingRays in places where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy [64].
Government use of IMSI catchers at protests is not limited to the United States. During the
Kiev protests in 2014, cell phones in the vicinity received an ominous text message, “Dear
subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance” [65]. Since network operators
can easily identify cell phones in a particular geographic area by identifying the cell towers that
they are connected to, this would actually be a trivial task for them. However, mobile operators in
Kiev denied involvement [66], suggesting instead that an IMSI catcher was used to identify the
nearby phones and send them the SMS [67].
3.5.2 By Others
Statements by Leo Goldsmith, CEO of ESD America, suggest that a significant amount of
IMSI catcher activity in the United States is conducted by parties unrelated to the U.S. government
[49]. According to Goldsmith, the largest group of interceptors use the open-source software
OpenBTS, suggesting that these are laptop devices connected to software-defined radios
configured by hobbyists to act as IMSI catchers. The next largest group are “commercial-grade
from overseas”, suggesting that they are employed by foreign intelligence services. There is little
public information regarding the use of IMSI catchers by criminal organizations, although Czech
police reported the use of unauthorized IMSI catchers in 2012 [38].
In 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established a task force to
investigate the illegal use of IMSI catchers and similar technology by criminal organizations and
foreign intelligence services [68].

17

 4

COUNTERMEASURES

4.1

Detection Indicators

As the design and production of IMSI catchers has historically been kept secret, not much
information is publicly available about how specific models of IMSI catchers work. However,
based on investigative research and working prototypes such as Chris Paget’s homebuilt IMSI
catchers, there are some unusual behaviors of IMSI catchers that can be used to differentiate them
from legitimate base stations. Some of these have been identified as proposed heuristics and are
laid out below, following the material in [27].
These detection indicators can be monitored on either the user’s mobile phone (see Sections
4.2 and 4.3) or on separate hardware (see Section 4.4). Such apps or devices may be called “IMSI
catcher catchers” or “IMSI catcher detectors”. Implementation of these indicators has also been
limited by access to baseband chip functions, which has typically been restricted by chipmakers7.
4.1.1 Off-band Frequency Usage
In order to increase signal quality and reduce noise, IMSI catchers may choose to operate
on an unused frequency, such as channels reserved for testing or buffer channels between different
operators. The drawback of using these frequencies is that the mobile stations may prefer
neighboring cell frequencies (as advertised by the original base station they are connected to)
instead, reducing the probability of the mobile station connecting to the IMSI catcher.
Alternatively, the IMSI catcher can operate on an advertised frequency that is not actually in use
at that time in the vicinity.
This behavior can be detected by cross-checking the operating frequencies of the cell
towers in the vicinity against the current frequency band plan as designated by local authorities.
According to [27], “radio regulatory bodies and frequency plans are available for almost all
countries.”
4.1.2 Unusual Cell ID
GSM Cell IDs (CIDs) are unique numbers identifying each base station within a Location
Area Code (LAC) in a GSM network. Valid CIDs range from 0 to 65535 (i.e. 216-1) for GSM and
CDMA networks. In order to avoid protocol mismatch with the real base stations and to elicit a
Location Update request from mobile phones, IMSI catchers usually introduce a new CID
previously unused within the operating geographic region.
This behavior can be detected by cross-checking the base station CIDs in the vicinity with
a database of registered base stations, their CIDs, and their registered geographic locations. These
databases are available from government sources, for example, the Federal Communications
7

In his presentation of SnoopSnitch, Nohl explains that the development team would have implemented detection
measures for additional heuristics if they could, but were instead limited by restricted access to information from the
Qualcomm baseband chip [18].

18

 Commission (FCC) makes information on registered base stations publicly available [69]. CIDs
that are unregistered or far away from their registered geographic location can be marked as
suspicious.
4.1.3 Base Station Capabilities and Network Parameters
Base stations usually offer a suite of supported features, such as GPRS or EDGE. Some of
these services are complex to implement, and it is unlikely that any but the most sophisticated of
IMSI catchers will support these protocols. In addition, mobile stations convey basic network
parameters about the organization of the mobile network, including threshold values, time slot
organization, and timeout values. According to [27], these parameters vary between different
operators but are usually uniform across base stations for the same operator. Rudimentary IMSI
catchers may not copy all of this data comprehensively because it is peripheral to the core attack
functionality.
This behavior can be detected by cross-checking the detected base station capabilities
against a database of registered base stations (as described above in Section 4.1.2) and their
reported capabilities. If the offered services do not match the database, the base stations can be
marked as suspicious. Likewise, irregularities in network parameters can be used to highlight
suspicious base stations.
4.1.4 Radio Frequency (RF) Jamming
In order to expedite the process of luring the mobile phone to disconnect from a real base
station and connect to the IMSI catcher, the attacker may choose to jam other frequencies. The
mobile phone’s connection will be interrupted and after failing to connect to any other advertised
neighboring base stations, the phone will conduct a full scan of nearby base stations and connect
to the IMSI catcher. The jammer also allows the IMSI catcher to jam 3G and 4G signals and
“downgrade” a 3G or 4G mobile phone to its 2G GSM capability in order to exploit its 2G
vulnerabilities. There are several options on the market for turnkey products with the ability to jam
specific phones, for example [70] and [71].
Jamming can be detected by a mobile station by monitoring the noise levels on relevant
frequencies, such as its currently used frequency and those of base stations on the neighbor list.
4.1.5 Attacks on Inter-operating GSM/UMTS Networks
The aforementioned Meyer and Wetzel attack on inter-operating GSM/UMTS networks as
described in [29] will allow IMSI catchers to downgrade a 3G UMTS mobile connection to 2G
GSM and carry out its man-in-the-middle attack, an alternative solution to 3G signal jamming.
This behavior can be detected by observing when a mobile station downgrades to a GSM
connection in an area where UMTS connection should be available, based on registered base
station databases.

19

 4.1.6 Absence of Encryption
As described earlier in Section 3.2.3, IMSI catchers can easily instruct mobile phones on
the GSM protocol to set cipher mode A5/0 i.e. use no encryption (also described in Section 3.2.4,
more advanced IMSI catchers may choose to set cipher mode A5/1 or A5/2 and break it in realtime).
Given the wide variance in encryption standards implemented on operator networks, the
absence of encryption alone is insufficient to suggest IMSI catcher activity. However, if a mobile
phone had already established an encrypted session and its communications suddenly become
unencrypted, this can be highlighted as a suspicious indicator.
4.1.7 Lack of Neighboring Cell Information
As described in Section 3.2.5, IMSI catchers may choose to broadcast empty or invalid
neighboring cell lists in order to keep the connected mobile phone “captive”.
This behavior can be detected by having the mobile station monitor the availability and
authenticity of the neighboring cell lists. It can also be cross-checked against registered databases
to better recognize suspicious lists that do not seem consistent with the information of the cell
towers registered in the area.
4.1.8 Traffic Forwarding
Once the IMSI catcher has established connections with both the mobile station and the
network (see Sections 3.2.3 and 3.2.4), it will need to relay communications between both parties.
In the most basic setup, the IMSI catcher is unable to handle any incoming calls to mobile station,
as was the case with Rohde & Schwarz’s GA 090 and GA 900, described in [9]. In order to forward
calls, data, and SMS to the phone network, basic IMSI catchers may choose to use another SIM
card and mobile station. In this case, it will appear to recipients of communication from the
attacked mobile phone that the call is being made from an unknown phone number. The IMSI
catcher may choose to disable caller ID presentation in order not to alarm the recipient.
This behavior can be detected by making test calls from the mobile phone and checking
the caller ID on the recipient device.
However, more advanced IMSI catchers can choose to forward the information through
other means, such as routing them directly into a trusted wholesale or exchange
telecommunications partner network or using a more advanced relaying setup that enables a proper
man-in-the-middle attack and full relaying of two-way communications.
4.1.9 Short Base Station Lifetimes
IMSI catchers are usually operated for short periods of time. When used to locate phones
with unknown IMSI numbers or used to sweep geographic areas to collect IMSI numbers, they
operate very briefly. When used to intercept communications and eavesdrop, they may only be
20

 operated for the duration of one or a few calls. Thus, they are usually only detectable by mobile
stations for relatively short periods of times, compared to legitimate base stations.
This behavior can be detected by flagging base stations that suddenly appear on the
network but only for a short period of time, especially when these base stations have a particularly
strong signal strength when they appear.
4.1.10 Changing/Inconsistent LAC [72]
If the mobile station has already established a connection with a legitimate network using
a specified TMSI, it may not connect to a nearby IMSI catcher even if the latter is broadcasting
with more power than the original base station. Thus, the IMSI catcher may change its LAC in
order to trigger a Location Update request from the mobile phone.
This behavior can be detected by monitoring the consistency of LAC/CID pairs. If a nearby
cell tower with a particular CID suddenly changes its LAC, this can be highlighted as suspicious
behavior. In addition, the legitimacy of LAC/CID pairs can be cross-checked with a database of
registered base stations.
4.2

Secure Mobile Phones

From a Blackberry-dominated market in the 2000s, the market for high security
smartphones has quickly expanded in recent years to include a range of offerings from various
boutique security firms. Currently, the CryptoPhone and Stealth Phone are the only options that
protect against IMSI catcher attacks. Nevertheless, the Blackphone and FreedomPop’s Privacy
Phone are also given brief mention in this section as they offer some enhanced security features.
4.2.1 GSMK’s CryptoPhone
Located in Berlin, Germany, GSMK primarily manufactures and sells mobile phones,
landline phones, and satellite phones that leverage the processing capacity of the mobile device to
ensure strong end-to-end voice encryption. They serve “very demanding clients that cannot afford
the security of their communications to be compromised”, which include governments,
international institutions, private individuals and organizations from over 50 countries worldwide
[73]. GSMK prides themselves as having the only commercial smartphone with both state-of-theart encryption and published source code available for independent review.
The GSMK CryptoPhone uses a unique audio compression algorithm (codec) and offers
both Circuit Switch Data (CSD), found in GSM networks, and IP modes. To encrypt their mobile
traffic, each call uses a 256-key generating using a 4096-bit Diffie Hellman shared secret
exchange, which hashes the resulting 4096 bits to the 256-bit session key using SHA256. The
subsequent hash verification prevents man-in-the-middle attacks such as those by IMSI catchers.
The 256-bit keys are used to encrypt calls using both AES and Twofish, providing a double
layer of encryption security in case cryptanalysis discovers a weakness in one of the algorithms in

21

 the near future. For calls, a new key exchange is generated for every call. For SMS, the initial key
exchange is stored securely on the phone and used through means of a hash-chain.

Figure 9: CryptoPhone Encryption Process

The flagship model, the GSMK CryptoPhone 500, runs on a Samsung Galaxy S3 with a
proprietary OS and costs approximately $3,500 [74]. ESD America estimated that there were
already 30,000 CryptoPhones in the United States and 300,000 worldwide, as of September 2014
[48].
CryptoPhone security is also fortified using a proprietary baseband firewall [75]. The
firewall monitors all connections to the phone’s baseband and reports suspicious activities to the
user, including:
 Cell towers that lack an identifying CID
 Cell towers with a suspiciously different signal strength
 Cell towers operating as expecting or trying to manipulate phones
 When the mobile network’s encryption is deactivated
 When the cell phone abruptly switches from a 3G or 4G network to a 2G network
 When I/O devices are activated through baseband without instructions from OS
 When phone makes suspicious connections despite no user activity or ongoing updates
22

 The CryptoPhone uses three main heuristics to measure the likelihood that an IMSI catcher is
operating in the vicinity [48]. Although the detection process is still not watertight, when all three
indicators are present simultaneously, there is a reasonably good chance that an IMSI catcher is
present nearby. These indicators are:
 When the phone shifts from a 3G network to a 2G network
 When the phone connection removes encryption
 When the cell tower does not provide a list of “neighboring” cell towers

Figure 10: CryptoPhone Warning Screen

4.2.2 XCell’s Stealth Phone
XCell Technologies, located in Geneva, primarily produces Stealth Phones with a variety
of security features [76]. The basic phones alert the user to nearby interceptors (IMSI catchers)
and call interception whilst the most advanced phones allow for dynamic IMEI changing to prevent
phone tracking. Its phones range from €400 to €800. A table of prices and capabilities can be found
in Appendix 6.2.
4.2.3 SGP Technologies’ Blackphone
The Blackphone is a security-enhanced smartphone developed by SGP Technologies, a
joint venture between the Spanish smartphone company, GeeksPhone, and the encrypted
communications firm, Silent Circle. The Blackphone runs on an Android-based proprietary
PrivatOS and routes mobile communications using VoIP through a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
for additional security, supporting 2G, 3G and 4G bands [77]. It offers a bundled suite of Silent
Circle security apps that allow various functions such as voice or video calls or encrypted text
messaging. The Blackphone primary targets prosumers, a market segment between professional
and consumer.
The Blackphone BP1 began shipping on June 30, 2014, for $629 per unit [78]. The phone
comes with a 1-year subscription to the Silent Circle bundled apps, thereafter costing $10 /month.
Pre-orders reportedly sold out quickly, with regular sales resuming soon after [79]. On March 2,
2015, a sequel, the Blackphone 2, was announced, in addition to a secure tablet device, the

23

 Blackphone+. With these subsequent releases, SGP Technologies plans to cater more to enterprise
solutions in response to growing demand from enterprises.
The Blackphone reportedly provides safeguards against femtocell man-in-the-middle
attacks [80]. However, the Blackphone does not offer the same baseband firewall as the
CryptoPhone [81]. If attackers are able to access the baseband OS, then the Blackphone’s
communication encryption becomes irrelevant from a security standpoint as the attacker can
disable encryption or choose a form of encryption that it can break in real-time (see Sections 3.2.3
and 3.2.4).
4.2.4 FreedomPop’s Privacy Phone
FreedomPop offers a Samsung Galaxy II-based Privacy Phone that it has nicknamed the
“Snowden Phone”. Launched in March 2014, the Privacy Phone encrypts voice calls and text
messages with 128-bit encryption whilst application and Internet data is sent through an encrypted
VPN. In addition, owners can change their phone number at will.
The Privacy Phone costs $189. It comes without a contract but with 3 months of unlimited
voice calls and texting, as well as 500MB of data. Subsequently, subscription costs $10 per month.
FreedomPop’s target audience are consumers who want to remain anonymous amid
privacy violations across social networks and mobile devices. It even offers Bitcoin payment
options for heightened anonymity. However, its security features appear to be limited to
communication encryption, which is not a unique mobile product offering. For example,
Blackberry emails are encrypted, and apps like Signal on iOS allow for encryption of voice calls,
text messaging and even data communications [82]. The Privacy Phone does not appear to provide
any protection against man-in-the-middle IMSI catcher attacks.
4.3

Mobile Phone Software

4.3.1 Open-source Detection Software
A number of open-source projects aiming at detecting IMSI catchers have been started in
recent years. Among these projects, SnoopSnitch appears to be the most comprehensive in terms
of ability to detect IMSI catchers. Most of the other projects are in various stages of development.
SnoopSnitch is an Android app developed by Security Research Labs, a German firm
founded by Karsten Nohl [83]. It was first presented by Nohl at the Chaos Computer security
conference in Hamburg on December 27, 2014, and is available for free on the Google Play Store
[84]. SnoopSnitch is deployable on Android phones that, at a minimum, have Qualcomm chipsets
and root privileges available. The app “collects and analyzes mobile radio data to make you aware
of your mobile network security” and warns users when it suspects IMSI catcher activity and other
mobile threats, although it is unable to prevent mobile phones from connecting to IMSI catchers.
SnoopSnitch also allows users to draw on the data collected in the GSM security map and to
contribute their own data to the map [85].

24

 CatcherCatcher was the Security Research Labs’ precursor to SnoopSnitch [18]. Although
it also offered detection of IMSI catchers, it was only available on mobile phones with the
OsmocomBB software, which greatly limited the models of phones that it could be installed on
(only a few versions of Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and some other models) [86].
Android IMSI-Catcher Detector (AIMSICD) is an open-source project managed by
SecUpwN and started in 2012 [87]. The app is still in development and has only implemented a
handful of detection mechanisms, including the cross-checking of CIDs collected by the phone
against public base station databases and checking for “changing LACs” (see Section 4.1.10) of
CIDs that have been collected by the phone [88]. It aims to expand its detection indicators to
eventually include checking neighboring cell info, signal strength monitoring, and other heuristics.
Darshak is an open-source Android app available for free on the Google Play Store [89]. It
was developed by post-doctorate researcher Ravishankar Borgaonkar (Technical University
Berlin) and Master’s student Swapnil Udar (Aalto University). Darshak monitors the receipt of
silent SMS and displays information about the current status of network connections, including
IMSI catcher suspicion. A test version is available for Galaxy S2 and S3 phones with an Intel
chipset [90].
Spidey is an open-source app currently being developed by Jeffrey Warren, a graduate
student at MIT [91]. Spidey aims to be able to monitor base stations in the vicinity of the mobile
phone and alert the user to possible use of IMSI catchers in the vicinity.
4.3.2 Enterprise-level Detection Software
Zimperium Mobile Security markets a suite of enterprise-level mobile security products,
including zIPS (Zimperium Intrusion Prevention System), that detect and prevent man-in-themiddle attacks, among other security capabilities [92]. Zimperium initially raised $8.0mm from
Sierra Ventures in December 2013 [93]. In July 2014, they became the first company to offer
enterprise-level security software for iOS devices [94].
4.4

Standalone Hardware

4.4.1 Pwnie Express’ Detector
Pwnie Express is a maker of wired, WiFi, and Bluetooth monitoring devices. As recently
as April 20, 2015, at the cryptography RSA Conference in San Francisco, they unveiled a live
prototype sensor that would be able to detect a range of cellular threats, from cell jammers to IMSI
catchers [95].
Pwnie Express is still in the process of refining the heuristics it uses to detect rogue and
malicious cell towers and reducing the occurrence of false positives. Some of the heuristics it uses
to determine whether a cell tower is a potential threat include:
 Unauthorized or unknown cell providers, based on their Mobile Network Code (MNC) and
Mobile Country Code (MCC)
 Sudden changes in cell tower signal strength
25

 




New cell towers suddenly appearing
Cell service going down to a 2G network
Cell towers claiming to be from a major carrier but only providing 2G service
Cell towers based on open source software, e.g. Yate default base station configurations8

Since the prototype was only announced recently, little is known about the extent or
effectiveness of its detecting capabilities. However, this sensor, along with the CryptoPhone and
Stealth Phone, appear to be the only commercially-available turnkey hardware products capable
of detecting IMSI catchers with considerable reliability.
4.4.2 SBA Research’s IMSI Catcher Catcher
SBA Research, a joint academic research center based in Vienna, announced a prototype
stationary IMSI catcher catcher in August 2014 [96]. The device was built from a Telit modem
without a SIM card and a Raspberry Pi Linux computer, costing about €100 in parts. It was capable
of detecting between 270 to 400 base stations in the center of Vienna, and approximately 20 to 30
such devices would be required to cover an area of 20 km2. The laboratory results of the use of the
device is still pending.
4.4.3 Open-source Portable-IMSI-Catcher-Detector
An open-source project to create a portable, ARM-based detector, Portable-IMSI-CatcherDetector, also exists [97]. However, the project is still in its “very early stages of development”
and is incomplete.
4.4.4 ESD America’s Overwatch
ESD America is a Las Vegas-based company that specializes in defense and law
enforcement technology [98]. They are also the manufacturers of the GSMK CryptoPhone. After
detecting multiple IMSI catchers across the United States whilst testing the CryptoPhone, ESD
America decided to develop and launch its latest product, ESD Overwatch, a comprehensive
system to identify and locate IMSI catchers, announced in March 2015 [49]. The system will use
a network of ESD-built, briefcase-sized devices that monitor base station connections in a specific
area. Alternatively, ESD can also modify Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, or S5 smartphones to act as
detectors. ESD Overwatch will be marketed exclusively to the U.S. government and other
governments “strictly allied” to it, with at least 14 governments already having expressed interest
in the program
4.5

Android Cell Tower Enumeration App

This project involved developing a proof of concept Android app to enumerate nearby cell
tower locations.

8

This indicates that the cell tower operator has configured the cell tower as a gateway for phone calls or other
malicious purposes.

26

 The app allows an LG Nexus 5 smartphone to record basic cell tower information and
upload the data to a server. Using this information, we can estimate the physical positions of cell
towers in a geographic region and cross-check the information against the FCC’s database of
registered base stations for possible discrepancies.

Figure 11: Mapping of Cell Towers in Center City, Philadelphia

Figure 12: Mapping of Cell Towers in University City, Philadelphia

A sample of the relevant Android source code from the Data Collection App used to survey
this information on an LG Nexus 5 can be found in Appendix 6.3.
As demonstrated in Appendix 6.3, the primary method used to retrieve information on cell
phone communications with nearby cell towers was the getNeighboringCell() function.
However, this method returns static information as recorded by the cell tower that the cell phone
is currently connected to, instead of returning real-time information as observed by the cell phone.
27

 It appears that gaining access to first-hand nearby cell tower information as observed by the cell
phone may require special access to the baseband chip in the SIM.
Future steps could involve obtaining this baseband access to gain first-hand cell tower
information, and using other heuristics to detect when a phone may be pinged by or connected to
a fake cell tower, emulating the reported functionality of other IMSI catcher detectors.
4.6

Upgrading of 2G Networks and Phone Capabilities

Attacks on GSM encryption have been shown as early as 1987, then re-iterated in 1994.
Most recently, Karsten Nohl and Chris Paget demonstrated in 2010 that cracking GSM encryption
can be done “at home”, using commercial software-defined radios (SDR) and Rainbow Tables
[99]. The security researchers are part of an ongoing effort that calls for the overhauling of the
highly-vulnerable 2G network and phone capabilities. If cellular networks and cell phones no
longer support the GSM standard, then current IMSI catcher technology will be rendered obsolete.
As of 2014, GSM continues to be the dominant standard for cellular networks worldwide.
In the United States, some major carriers like Verizon and AT&T are starting to phase out their
2G networks (see Table 1 below). However, others like Sprint are instead taking advantage of the
opportunity to grab some of the migrating customers to their 2G networks. In addition, even if
network providers phase out the GSM standard, cell phones that still have baseband chips with 2G
GSM functionality may still be susceptible to IMSI catcher attacks. In other countries, some major
carriers have also begun shutting down their GSM networks, for example, Telstra (Australia) plans
to do this by the end of 2016 [100].
Table 1: 5 Largest U.S. Wireless Service Providers

Carrier

Subscribers [101]
(in millions)

2G Network

Verizon Wireless

131.9

Plans to shut down 2G (and 3G) network by
approximately 2021 [101].

AT&T

120.6

Plans to shut down 2G GSM network by approximately
Jan 2017 [102].

Sprint

55.5

T-Mobile

55.0

US Cellular

4.8

Upgrading GSM networks to LTE and HSPA+ since
2012; plans to leave some 2G bandwidth in place [103]

At the December 2014 Chaos Computer security conference, Karsten Nohl pointed out
vulnerabilities in the 3G network that exploit the SS7 telephony signaling protocols [18]. SS7
enables the setting up and management of calls in a separate network rather than the same network
that the call is made from, allowing for services like call forwarding and wireless roaming [104].
28

 Nohl explained that in 3G networks, although IMSI catching is still technically possible in the
sense that catchers can force mobile phones to broadcast their IMSI numbers, direct man-in-themiddle attacks that allow IMSI catchers to eavesdrop and mimic mobile communications are not
possible because IMSI catchers are unable to authenticate their identity (as base stations) to the
mobile phone [18]. However, by exploiting global SS7 networks, IMSI catchers can obtain
authentication proof from the mobile operator and falsely authenticate their identity to the mobile
phone.

Figure 13: Man-in-the-middle attack on 3G networks exploiting SS7 vulnerability

In 2014, the News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, unearthed a March purchase order
from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for a “StingRay II to Hailstorm Upgrade”
[105]. Hailstorm reportedly gives StingRay devices the capability to intercept 4G LTE phones
even after 2G networks have been phased out, which imply that overhauling the GSM standard
may not render all IMSI catchers obsolete. Martone Radio Technology also seems to advertise
products with the capability to intercept 4G LTE phones [106], although this may merely be an
ability to jam 4G signals and force the phone into a 2G connection before carrying out a man-inthe-middle attack. Apart from these two exceptions, no other 4G IMSI catchers are currently
known to exist.
4.7

Wireless Network Providers

Since IMSI catchers must simultaneously connect to the target mobile phone and the
original cell tower, it is possible for network operators to detect IMSI catcher activity [99]. In the
words of security researcher Karsten Nohl, “The network operator, in any given country, knows
where IMSI catchers are operating.”9
Note that this assertion stands in contrast to Strobel’s assertion in [9] that IMSI catchers can tap mobile phones in
such a way that “even the network operator cannot notice anything”.
9

29

 However, network operators have thus far been silent on the issue of IMSI catchers, as far
as the public is concerned. Verizon has denied any knowledge of the use of dirtboxes by the U.S.
Marshals Service [35]. Since some of the largest users of IMSI catchers are likely to be government
agencies themselves, there is little incentive for network operators to highlight IMSI catcher use
to government authorities. In fact, operators have instead continuously asserted the security of
their wireless networks.

30

 5

CONCLUSION

Although IMSI catchers have been in use by government agencies for many years, the
availability of affordable software-defined radios and expertise to build IMSI catchers have made
them more easily accessible than ever to hobbyists. Since it still costs upwards of $1,500 to build
or purchase an IMSI catcher, basic threat modelling suggests that the general public has little to
fear from the use of IMSI catchers with regards to their everyday communications.
However, the use of IMSI catchers by government agencies may eventually be of
significant concern. Whilst the use of IMSI catchers to apprehend criminal suspects is highly
desirable, unrestrained use of the devices could lead to gross violations of privacy, especially given
programs such as the U.S. Marshals Service’s dragnet plane surveillance, coupled with the
capabilities of advanced IMSI catchers.
In addition, IMSI catchers may be a popular tool for corporate espionage. Whilst the price
tag of IMSI catchers is certainly too steep for personal use, it may not be a large deterrent for
business opportunists seeking to capitalize on information that could be worth millions of dollars.
Finally, the use of IMSI catchers by foreign intelligence services and criminal
organizations is of great concern to government agencies, especially given the fact that very little
is known about the extent of their use.
Fortunately, even as use of IMSI catchers has been growing more prevalent, the range of
solutions has also been growing rapidly. For the everyday (Android) phone user, SnoopSnitch
seems to be a reliable app to detect IMSI catchers operating nearby. For the business user, more
expensive options like the GSMK CryptoPhone and XCell Stealth Phone exist to ensure a higher
level of communication security. Zimperium’s enterprise solution for business groups is another
corporate-level solution. For government agencies, the recently-announced ESD Overwatch
system could potentially be a powerful firewall, if they do not already have their own detection
systems in place.
Whilst IMSI catcher capabilities have certainly been expanding rapidly and IMSI catcher
use is more widespread than previously suspected, given the rapid improvement in
countermeasures, it seems that there will be ways to deal with IMSI catcher attacks, at least in the
near future. In the meantime, the public release of information regarding the use and functionality
of IMSI catchers will serve to improve efforts to establish reasonable countermeasures and to allay
concerns of the general public over misuse of IMSI catchers.

31

 6

APPENDIX

6.1

List of Federal Agencies known to use IMSI catchers

Federal Agencies:
 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
 U.S. Secret Service
 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
 U.S. Marshals Service
 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
 U.S. Army
 U.S. Navy
 U.S. Marine Corps
 U.S. National Guard
 U.S. Special Operations Command
 National Security Agency (NSA)

32

 6.2

XCell Technologies’ Stealth Phone Prices and Capabilities
XCell
Advanced

XCell
Crypt

XCell
Dynamic
IMEI

XCell
Dynamic
IMEI v2

GSM Interceptor Proximity
Yes
Alert

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Call Interception Alert

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

XCell
Basic

Special Features

Yes

Dynamic IMEI
A5 Change Alert (No/Change
Yes
Encryption Alert)

Yes

Yes

UnPing (Localization Alert)

Yes

Channel
Lock)

Yes

Lock

(ARFCN

Show TMSI

Yes

Clear Call Log

Yes

Voice Call Recording

Yes

Hunting Mode

Yes

Yes

Anti Interception Mode

Yes

Yes

SMS Encryption

Yes

Forensic Bullet-Proof

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Price

€400

€500

€600

€800

€800

33

 6.3

Data Collection App source code snippet

The Data Collection App was initially written by graduate students involved in researching
cell towers under Professor Nadia Heninger’s guidance. In the spring 2015 semester, this author
worked on debugging the app to allow stable data collection and adding functionality to the user
interface, in order to embark on the first round of cell tower data collection in Philadelphia (see
Section 4.5).
Below is a snippet from the DataCollectionActivity.class file of the Data Collection
App, which manages the core function that collects information about cell towers in the vicinity
whenever the mobile phone detects a change in signal strength.
// Check that min required time has elapsed since last data entry
timeElapsed = System.nanoTime() - lastCollectedTime;
if (timeElapsed >= delayNanoSec) {
// Logs time since last data entry
Log.d(COLLECTION, "Proceed - " +
(float) timeElapsed/1000000000 +
" sec since last entry");
// Check that data collection count doesn't exceed maximum before collecting
if (current_count_coll_json_obj < MAX_COLLECTIONS_JSON_OBJECTS) {
StringBuffer display_string = new StringBuffer();
List<NeighboringCellInfo> neighborList = telephonyManager
.getNeighboringCellInfo();
// Check that NeighboringCellInfo list is not empty
if (neighborList != null) {
// Report the number of NeighboringCellInfo objects received
Log.d(COLLECTION, String.valueOf(neighborList.size()) +
" neighboring cells found.");
// Process each NeighboringCellInfo packet
for (int i = 0; i < neighborList.size(); i++) {
NeighboringCellInfo neighboringCellInfo =
(NeighboringCellInfo) neighborList.get(i);
// Print neighboring cell information to screen
display_string.append("CID: "
+ neighboringCellInfo.getCid()
+ " LAC: "
+ neighboringCellInfo.getLac()
+ " PSC: "
+ neighboringCellInfo.getPsc()
+ " RSSI: "
+ neighboringCellInfo.getRssi()
+ "\n\n");
// Record transaction information to cell JSONObject
JSONObject entry = new JSONObject();
try {
// Add cell tower signal information to cell JSONObject
entry.put("cid",
neighboringCellInfo.getCid());
entry.put("lac",
neighboringCellInfo.getLac());
entry.put("psc",
neighboringCellInfo.getPsc());
entry.put("rssi",
neighboringCellInfo.getRssi());
// Add latitude longitude information to cell JSONObject

34

 GPSTracker gps = new GPSTracker(
DataCollectionActivity.this);
entry.put("latitude", gps.getLatitude());
entry.put("longitude",
gps.getLongitude());
// Display latitude longitude information on screen
post_server_response_textview.setText("Data Collection In" +
" Progress\n\n"
+ "Latitude: "
+ Double.toString(gps
.getLatitude())
+ "\nLongitude: "
+ Double.toString(gps
.getLongitude()));
// Add time information to cell JSONObject
Calendar c = Calendar.getInstance();
entry.put("time", c.getTimeInMillis());
//Log.d("time in millis", Long.toString(c
//
.getTimeInMillis()));
// Add cell JSONObject to array of cell JSONObjects
data_Array.put(entry);
// Increment count of cell JSONObjects
signal_strength_transactions++;
//
//
//
if

If max number of cell JSONObjects per data collection
is reached, record array of cell JSONObjects as a data
collection and add to array of data collections; reset
(signal_strength_transactions ==
MAX_SIGNAL_STRENGTH_TRANSACTIONS) {
// Create data collection to store cell JSONObjects
JSONObject temp = new JSONObject();
// Record Android ID to collection
temp.put("id", Secure.getString(getBaseContext()
.getContentResolver(),
Secure.ANDROID_ID));
/* Unnecessary - commented out
String devId = Secure.getString(getBaseContext()
.getContentResolver(),
Secure.ANDROID_ID);
Log.d("Dev ID: ", devId );
*/
// Record cell JSONObjects to collection
temp.put("information", data_Array);
//Log.d("json data : ",temp.toString());
// Check that max collections is not exceeded
if (current_count_coll_json_obj < MAX_COLLECTIONS_JSON_OBJECTS) {
// Add collection to array of collections
collection_JSON_objects[current_count_coll_json_obj] =
temp;
}
// Re-initialize the array to store cell JSONObjects
data_Array = new JSONArray();
// I don't know what this does yet
data_display_textview
.setText("found1");
// Increment the count of collections
current_count_coll_json_obj++;

35

 // Reset count of cell JSONObjects
signal_strength_transactions = 0;
//
//
} else
//

If max number of cell JSONObjects per data collection
has not yet been reached
{
Just do nothing?

}
// Display total transactions on screen
count_textview.setText("Cell transactions received: "
+ (MAX_SIGNAL_STRENGTH_TRANSACTIONS
* current_count_coll_json_obj
+ signal_strength_transactions)
+ "\nCell transactions ready to be sent: "
+ MAX_SIGNAL_STRENGTH_TRANSACTIONS
* current_count_coll_json_obj
+ "\nTotal transactions sent to server: "
+ transactions_sent);
} catch (JSONException e1) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
// e1.printStackTrace();
data_display_textview
.setText("JSON Exception");
}
}
// Print time elapsed since last data entry
display_string.append(
numberFormat.format((float) timeElapsed / 1000000000) +
" sec since last data entry.");
data_display_textview.setText(display_string
.toString());
// Record number of data collections to log
Log.d(COLLECTION,
current_count_coll_json_obj +
" data collections collected.");
// Record number of cell JSONObjects to log
Log.d(COLLECTION,
(current_count_coll_json_obj
* MAX_SIGNAL_STRENGTH_TRANSACTIONS
+ signal_strength_transactions)
+ " cell transactions collected.");
// Report empty NeighboringCellInfo list
} else {
Log.d(COLLECTION, "Empty NeighboringCellInfo list.");
}
// If data collection count exceeds maximum
} else {
// current_count_coll_json_obj >= MAX_COLLECTIONS_JSON_OBJECTS
// If existing data connection
if (isConnectedToNw()) {
// Only send if data has been collected
if (current_count_coll_json_obj > 0) {
try {
// send all the collected data one by one
spinner.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
post_server_response_textview

36

 .setText("Data sending in progress ...");
for (int i = 0; i < current_count_coll_json_obj; i++) {
NetworkAsyncTask nat = new NetworkAsyncTask(
DataCollectionActivity.this,
collection_JSON_objects[i],
DataCollectionActivity.this);
nat.execute(SERVER_URL);
// Increment count of sent transactions
transactions_sent += MAX_SIGNAL_STRENGTH_TRANSACTIONS;
}
// Reset counter
current_count_coll_json_obj = 0;
// Reset data collections
collection_JSON_objects =
new JSONObject[MAX_COLLECTIONS_JSON_OBJECTS];
} catch (Exception e) {
// TODO: handle exception
Log.d(SENDING, "Failed to send data to server.");
post_server_response_textview
.setText("Error sending data to server");
}
// If no data has been collected, print error message.
} else {
Log.d(SENDING, "No data collected yet.");
post_server_response_textview
.setText("No data collected yet.");
}
// If no existing data connection, print error message
} else {
Context context = getApplicationContext();
CharSequence text = "Check the Internet connection and try again";
int duration = Toast.LENGTH_SHORT;
Toast toast = Toast.makeText(context, text, duration);
toast.show();
}
Log.d(COLLECTION, "Halted; max data collection limit reached.");
data_display_textview
.setText("Exceeded the maximum amount of data that can " +
"be stored on the phone");
}
// Reset data entry timestamp
lastCollectedTime = System.nanoTime();
}

37

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