IT Security Stack Exchange
IT Security Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [3g]

Use this tag for questions involving the use of third generation (3G) wireless mobile technology.

15 questions
19
votes
3 answers

How secure is HTTP / HTTPS over 3G?

Suppose I log into a website, such as Twitter, from a 3G-enabled smartphone or similar device. How secure is this from interception? Can someone steal my password or login? What if I use HTTPS? What if my device can only get a 2G signal or similar?…
Joe Dovahkiin
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10
votes
1 answer

Cellular encryption algorithms currently in use globally

I have been doing research on the available encryption algorithms used by commercial mobile providers worldwide, and would like to know if the following list is complete: Algorithms for voice encryption: A5/1: the "original" unweakened GSM…
Nasrus
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4
votes
1 answer

How serious is the Borgaonkar/Hirschi attack on 3/4g cellular security

At Blackhat yesterday Ravishankar Borgaonkar and Lucca Hirschi revealed an attack on the security protocols underlying current 3/4g networks. Parts of the tech press are have indicated this could lead to a new generation of Stingray like devices…
Dan Is Fiddling By Firelight
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4
votes
3 answers

3G, 4G How does my provider know i am using facebook?

I have a mobile subscription with 1 GB of data every month. But my provider has a promotion where facebook and twitter traffic is free, so I can use facebook and twitter and not use up my 1 gb of data. I just wonder how they know when I am using…
Lode Vlaeminck
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3
votes
1 answer

911 Authentication and Encryption

When I talk over 3G without a SIM, for which the only example I see is 911 emergency calling, is any encryption used? In other words, can a 3G eavesdropper understand any content of my 911 call? I assume the network provider (who provides the link…
bobuhito
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3
votes
1 answer

As a mobile carrier, how do you defend against mobile attacks like Stingrays?

I would like to know what ways there are (if any) to defend against Stingrays and similar interception if you are a mobile carrier and have full control of the base stations and SIM cards? Can a SIM card be programmed to not downgrade to weak…
André Borie
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2
votes
1 answer

What are the threat models that using a VPN for mobile data can mitigate?

Some VPN providers offer to encrypt mobile data. This goes beyond the typical Wifi hotspot mitigation paradigm. So what exactly are the benefits of VPN over mobile data? What threat models can this mitigate? Does this depend on the protocol? (I…
Scribe
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2
votes
3 answers

Security of 3G network

If I'm using a 3G modem on USB, is that secured or easily hackable? Is there some form of encryption built into it?
frenchie
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1
vote
0 answers

General mobile broadband security questions

I'm thinking about whether or not to get a mobile(3G/4G) broadband router, but I need to know a few things about them. How secure are they? If an attacker were to put up a femtocell/rogue cell tower close by, what kind of attacks are possible? How…
newb54
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1
vote
1 answer

Privacy implications of Intel CPU's secret 3G communication (Anti Theft 3.0)

From what I understand pretty much all Intel CPUs produced since Sandy-Bridge have "secret" 3G capabilities in their IME (Intel Management Engine). This IME has full access to the memory bus and pretty much your whole computer and there is no way to…
Forivin
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1
vote
0 answers

Does old SIM-cards have the same security as new one?

As I am using an old (10-15 years) SIM-card, I was asking myself if the hardware and software on the sim-card is equivalent to the newer sim-cards. Are the old-sim-cards (10-15years) the same as the new ones ? Are usim-cards already in use ? As…
Tech-IO
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0
votes
0 answers

How to calculate Millenage OPc value while OP stored in HSM?

ETSI TS 135 206 defines the specification of MILENAGE algorithm which is an authentication algorithm for mobile networks. It defines 'OPc' as below: a 128-bit value derived from OP and K and used within the computation of the functions. According…
VSB
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0
votes
1 answer

Can a form I filled in online using 3G be traced to my phone?

My friend is trying to ascertain if a form completed online was done so by her ex. If he completed an online form on a website on his phone (contract phone) using 3G connection, could that form be traced back to him having completed it? If so is it…
Martina
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0
votes
2 answers

IMSI catcher vs MiTM attack

On reading about IMSI catchers, it is almost always mentioned together with MITM attacks, i.e. as if IMSI catchers are same as MITM. But from my understanding, IMSI catchers and MITM are not the same thing: IMSI catcher - as its name hints - only…
ransh
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-2
votes
1 answer

How can I know if any cell phones other than a given set are turned on in the nearby area?

I am searching for a solution to identify phones simply by the signals it emits. Imagine a signal receiver in a room, then I want to know which people are using phones nearby. I don't care what they are used for, just the fact that they are turned…
MatthiasA
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