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From: newsham@wiliki.eng.hawaii.edu (Timothy Newsham)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: How Do You Program This Cellular Phone?
Message-ID: <16359@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 23 Jan 91 08:24:28 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 61, Message 8 of 10


It is my interpretation that the cellular industry restricts the
dissemination of cellular phone programming information on the basis
that such info could be used to commit widespread fraud.

A person armed with a scanner (modified to monitor cellular
frequencies) or other similar device could easily read the ESN
(Electronic Serial Number [of the cellular phone]) and PIN (PIN for
that phone, not the real technical acronym for it, I can't recall the
actual name) off the air and program this information into their
cellular phone.  Thus, all further use of the cellular phone will be
billed to a random victim who's billing information was read with ease
right off the air.

The mobil nature of the cellular phone adds to the appeal of this
crime to new wave phreakers.  It's an almost perfect way for phreakers
to do their thing.

Sure, anyone who really wanted to commit this fraud would find out
sooner or later how to program their phone ... but why make it that
much easier for them?

There's an article in Phrack magazine Issue 11, File 9  that tells of
the potential problem that making programming information public would
be.  It was written by a few  engineers in the  cellular industry.  It
isn't  an   article written  by  a  hacker.   Good  reading   for  the
comp.dcom.telecom type, check it out.


[Moderator's Note: There were also people who said that when the telco
switched from 'permanent' jacks in residences to modular plug-in
phones and permitted people to do their own wiring the amount of fraud
against telco would increase when people figured out how to steal
pairs from their neighbors. Maybe it has, maybe it hasn't, but
everyone now moves their phone and wiring around as they see fit
without asking telco for permission to do so. There are people around
now who hack cellular service by listening on their Radio Shack PRO-34
scanner to the cellular frequencies (take the diode from D-4 and
solder it at D-3 to bring in full coverage at 800 megs), then set
dip switches on their home-brew cellular transmitter to do what you
mention.  What is the solution?  Should we punish everyone, or conduct
seminars on 'ethics and modern technology'?   PAT]