The problem with comparing with aircrack-ng is that together with a
supported wifi-card (often built-in in laptops, or bought for ca 20usd) you
have a complete tool for capture and cracking, out of box.
If you compare that with this project, the cracking/decoding is just half
the part, you still need expensive hardware to capture the traffic. But
sure, if the tool is well made, its just a matter of money.
So if I understand everything correctly, what you need (in hardware) to
CAPTURE somebody's phone-call is:
USRP
Daughterboard
Some antenna
+Software of course
700USD+150USD+35USD = 885USD
(http://www.ettus.com/order)

Or am I missing something?

On Fri, Jan 1, 2010 at 21:05, Fabio Pietrosanti (naif) <
[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> this is a provocative email.
>
> IMHO we need "practical", really practical ability for hackers to
> "easily" make gsm hacking and gsm interception.
>
> We need something like aircrack-ng for WiFi, we need that anyone with
> basic knowledge and not that big costs could start playing and hacking
> gsm.
>
> Why?
>
> Because if we don't reach that goal the problem will be always there,
> GSM equipment is not going to be replaced easily.
>
> What's already happened with other technologies like 802.11/WEP?
>
> Until well known, cheap and easy to use attack tools was diffused the
> industry did not reacted by making WPA1, WPA2 and working on security
> awareness.
>
> The real sense of full disclosure is this.
>
> GSM is sensitive, mobile voice and data interception is a strong
> matter and companies, governments and various agencies does not want
> anyone being able to break it.
>
> The interception tool exists.
>
> But they costs a lot of money (200-600k) and officially can be brought
> only by governments (even if most private agencies have it...).
> So only private spies, organized crimes, law enforcement, secret
> services and military can use it.
>
> And the general feeling of the man walking the street is that "calls
> and data are secure".
> Because they don't feel the risk, a real risk for the system, for the
> economy, for the industry, for the democracy itself.
>
> If people does not "taste" the risk, they will not react.
>
> Is the "public" is not *strongly aware* about the problem, then
> problem for them DOES NOT EXISTS (like has been done in past 15 years).
>
> Mobile networks are building block of the information society, and
> information society is the building block of the information and
> services economy where we live.
>
> All past GSM hacking attempt got serious attention from authorities
> and big lobbies, there was always "legal" problem and "pressure" on
> the project founders.
>
> I think we should think about it seriously, Karsten also told in
> various talk about such kind of "pressure".
>
> The project should probably increase it's resilience to possible
> attacks to the project itself, with the creation of always up-to-date
> mirror of the informations and development environment, sharing of
> mailing lists subscribers to always keep the community up&running.
>
> Then on top of that framework it would be fine to get some financing
> for additional development and refinement and eventually even build
> some business around it to make it economically sustainable and reach
> the "point-click-sniff" tool.
>
> It's a very difficult step but if we want to really change the
> landscape of the mobile security we should reach a level that will
> "force" the industry to upgrade or when not possible to explicitly do
> awareness about the risk.
>
> On Windows Vista if i connect to an open wifi network i receive the
> advice that the network is insecure and someone could sniff the traffic.
>
> Well, let's force them to do awareness on the users if the don't want
> to upgrade, users should always know what they are using and what are
> their risks.
>
> Telecommunication companies account 3 quarter of the european high
> yield bonds (http://www.cadwalader.com/assets/article/HighYieldBondMk.pdf
> ), they are plenty of debt to invest in selling dumb sing and logos
> for mobile, restricting network neutrality of the internet and a lot
> of very nasty and lobbystic stuff.
>
>
> I would like to see them to invest more in securing the information
> society, that is the foundation of their business required to sustain
> their debt.
>
> Let's do everything to make the project reach a "point-click-sniff"
> tool, at least on software side.
>
> Let's release everything, with very precise documentation, so privacy
> activists can demonstrate the risks to the masses.
> Let's mirror everything across trusted networks.
> Let's get public donations and private funding to carry on the
> development.
> Let's increase documentation and community strength to expand the
> knowledge.
>
> That's my personal point of view, all you guys have made an excellent
> job, now we should not stop.
>
> We should goes on, let anyone insisting on privacy activism in the
> world, on information society right to "access" the technology that
> demonstrate how the industry acted.
>
> We need more people involved that will start using the "tools" around
> the policy and activism scene, that will make the process unreversible.
>
> Without an easy to use attack tool available for anyone that want to
> show up which are the risks, all this effort not reach the result.
>
> Citizens and politicians will not care about it, and worst things will
> do all the bests to say that "everything it's ok, it was just a fun
> stuff by some bunch of young hackers!".
>
> Fabio
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