Eavesdropping on a Conversation

[Bren2010]

Anyone have any good ways of eavesdropping on phone conversations? Like wireless handsets or cellphones?

I've heard of people using starting their Microwave and pressing their ear to it to be able to hear people on cellphones, but something tells me that that not only doesn't work, but is probably just asking for cancer.

EDIT: 100 posts!

[faazshift]

Well, as microwave radiation is non-ionizing, cancer isn't really a risk (learn more here). Anyway, the idea that a magnetron can turn random signals into understandable sound seems a bit ridiculous. As for eavesdropping on conversations, I can't really help you (not something I have played with or learned much about).

[insomaniacal]

I also don't know too much about the topic, but wireless phones usually use radio waves. A radio scanner might work, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal to scan the frequencies used by phones.

[Goatboy]

Get a tan trench coat, large sunglasses, a hat, and a newspaper. Stand awkwardly close to the individual. Insta-Fed!

[eth0mane]

Seriously a microwave????

[cilpolir]

I also don't know too much about the topic, but wireless phones usually use radio waves. A radio scanner might work, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal to scan the frequencies used by phones.

Didn't thetan say that wireless phones send on the same frequency as your wireless network, so shouldn't it be possible to pick them up with your wireless network card? Just a guess...

[insomaniacal]

Interesting... I guess in theory yes, since 802.11 works on 2.4/3.6/5 GHZ, and the handset on my desk operates on 2.4 GHZ.

I did some Googling, and got the link below. This sounds like a fun weekend activity xD.

http://www.willhackforsushi.com/books/377_eth_2e_06.pdf

^It's a link to a PDF on the topic.

[thetan]

Didn't thetan say that wireless phones send on the same frequency as your wireless network, so shouldn't it be possible to pick them up with your wireless network card? Just a guess...

In theory it is entirely possible. It would require custom written NIC drivers and a custom suite of code to power it as well. I have yet to see any PoC on the subject matter of it working through a wireless-NIC, but i don't see why it couldn't.

This does remind me back when i was growing up. Me and my cousins would accidently be able to pick up transmissions from cordless phones when we were talking to each other playing Warcraft 1 & 2 or Starcraft on BattleNet (these games owned my young life) on cordless phones and even when we we're playing with super cheap "toys R us" bought "walkie-talkies". Imagine the confusion/excitement of an 8-10 yr old talking on a cordless phone/cheap-ass-walkie-talkie when he suddenly hears random people suddenly jump into the conversation and pop out. Which eventually led to me and my cousin walking around the block numerous times with a cordless handset seeing if we could pick up any conversations.

Like i said, this is something that was all to common when i was 8-10. Now i'm 21 so it's been 11-13 years since I've attempted this, so i'm entirely unsure on the current state of all this. Regardless, it was still fun when i was young.

http://www.willhackforsushi.com/books/377_eth_2e_06.pdf

^It's a link to a PDF on the topic.

....... No it's not. It's a PDF on the topic of __packet__ sniffing over wifi, which is by no means the same thing as picking up headset <-> base station phone transmissions.

[insomaniacal]

^It's a link to a PDF on the topic.

....... No it's not. It's a PDF on the topic of __packet__ sniffing over wifi, which is by no means the same thing as picking up headset <-> base station phone transmissions.[/quote]

Yea, I realized that after reading through a few pages. When I opened it, I flipped through and say a chart with a bunch of frequencies, and just assumed it would be on the topic. Never bothered updating the post though.