3g network faking

[K-roy]

Hi guys.
I remember reading about smartphone security etc.
And somthing about ppl. faking 3g networks, so they would get nearby phones to connect, and thereby sniffing data from phones...

Is this me remebering all wrong (did some quick googling on it with no results).
or do anyone have some knowlegde about this?

[centip3de]

Hi guys.
I remember reading about smartphone security etc.
And somthing about ppl. faking 3g networks, so they would get nearby phones to connect, and thereby sniffing data from phones...

Is this me remebering all wrong (did some quick googling on it with no results).
or do anyone have some knowlegde about this?

This wouldn't make much sense to me, because I'm sure that each 3G tower has it's own identifier for each phone. If there was none, wouldn't AT&T be able to pick up Verizon's 3G, and so on and so forth? I'm sure they have a pretty hefty encryption too, so even if you were able to sniff the data, you would also have to decrypt it. With all of that said, this is sounding highly improbable.

[VPR3]

Well all 3G phones were hacked this year at Defcon. Not to mention some guy actually spoofed a cell tower. So much for security...

[LoGiCaL__]

Slightly off topic, but it does fit in with being able to use phones with no tower.
http://www.fastcompany.com/1774515/lifenet-a-simple-communications-system-that-works-when-cell-phones-internet-are-down

[centip3de]

Wow... ... I'd like to retract my statement...