How vunerable is NZ to SS7 cell phone snooping?

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › How vunerable is NZ to SS7 cell phone snooping?

ElKay

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Wannabe Geek

#207691 8-Jan-2017 22:54

(Sorry about the text, I cant paste links) Back in 2014 the Chaos Computer Club demonstrated if you know any cell-phone number in the world, you can use the SS7 (Signal System 7) protocol to ask the network for that numbers nearest cell tower, getting it's location to about 200metres.

A SS7Map website found using SS7 NZ claims 1 out 1 NZ networks tested is partially vulnerable, but doesn't list which on.

Is NZ still vulnerable to domestic or overseas amateur triangulation?

It's not my area of expertise and someone who works with domestic violence has flat out asked me if cell phones can be traced by anyone who isn't in the phone company?

Torque

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#1714122 1-Feb-2017 19:28

I'm vaguely familiar with it, but it's not something that joe-average can code up something to utilise. I haven't looked for some time, but I didn't think there were many, if any freeware tools out there for SS7 - most paid solutions are government (LEO/Int) and/or telco level.

freitasm

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#1714123 1-Feb-2017 19:37

Also note is a protocol breach, not a network breach. Without network access nothing much (if anything at all) can be collected.

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Torque

379 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 23

#1714134 1-Feb-2017 20:04

Further to, if someone working in the DV space has queries about phone tracking, find my friends / find my iPhone / [insert android equivalents] are liable to be much more common than anyone utilising SS7 protocols.