Recording PCAPs from Stingrays With a $20 Hotspot
Shows how modifying an inexpensive consumer 4G LTE mobile hotspot allows researchers to capture raw network packets and detect IMSI catcher surveillance.
Summary
Cellular Interception via IMSI Catchers
IMSI catchers (commonly referred to as Stingrays or cell-site simulators) pose severe privacy and surveillance threats by spoofing cellular base stations to track mobile devices and intercept communications.
Modifying Inexpensive Consumer Hotspots
Cooper Quintin and Yomna Nasser demonstrate how modifying a $20 off-the-shelf mobile Wi-Fi hotspot enables raw cellular frame capture and logging directly to PCAP files.
Detecting Rogue Cellular Base Station Anomalies
Analyzing captured packet traces reveals distinct IMSI catcher signatures, including forced cipher downgrades, unexpected cell reselection parameters, and abnormal identity request sequences.
Empowering Grassroots Surveillance Defense
Releasing open-source firmware tools empowers civil liberties researchers, journalists, and activists to monitor and document illicit cellular surveillance in public spaces.
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