HACKRF ONE DOWLOADS PC
The only hardware required is a PC and SDR receiver that supports GSM frequencies. They have the added ability to collect data about stationary devices, and can potentially have a more targeted range. Traditional IMSI catchers work differently, by spoofing a legitimate base station and forcing subscribers to connect to itself. This means you will only collect IMSI numbers for devices as they move between base stations. In an effort to protect privacy, all subsequent communication to that base station is done with a random Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) number. The IMSI is only disclosed during this initial connection. The passive IMSI catcher works by capturing IMSI numbers when a phone initializes a connection to a base station.
And of course, Iām not a legal expert in any way ā do your own research.
One point to note is that the personal data collected by the device (IMSI numbers) may be subject to privacy laws, so be mindful of storing/processing/sharing data this device collects. A passive IMSI catcher does neither of these. Traditional IMSI catchers are illegal in most jurisdictions due to the fact that they transmit on cellular frequencies (which requires a license), and that they essentially perform a man-in-the-middle attack between a phone and mobile base station (which breaks all sorts of anti-hacking laws). This post walks through the processes of building a passive IMSI catcher, which is distinctly different from traditional IMSI catchers in that it does not transmit nor does it interfere with cellular networks in any way. Nothing in this post is necessarily new, and those with less than honest intentions are most certainly already using these (or similar) devices. The purpose of this post is to be educational ā to highlight the ease of which these devices can be built, and to practically show how privacy is already being compromised today. Under certain circumstances, IMSI numbers can be linked back to personal identities, which inherently raises a number of privacy concerns. They are designed to collect and log IMSI numbers, which are unique identifiers assigned to mobile phone subscriptions. An IMSI catcher is a device commonly used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world to track mobile phones.