Mobile networks cracked

Hackers have demonstrated that they can now listen in on calls and read texts sent over any GSM network

Two hackers have demonstrated that they can listen to calls and read texts sent by mobile phones over GSM networks while at the Chaos Computer Club Congress in Berlin, according to the BBC.

Two hackers, Karsten Nohl and Sylvain Munaut, performed the feat with the aid of four budget Motorola phones with open source firmware installed. The software had had all the usual filters removed, giving the user a view of all the data coming out of a base station.

This data is encrypted, but even that was unable to stop the hackers, who had access to the necessary encryption keys.

They commented that the kit needed to snoop on any call over a GSM network is available for as little as £36, although the would-be hacker needs a high level of skill to perform the firmware swap and obtain the correct encryption keys.

Neither Vodafone nor the GSM Association were available for comment today.