Re: Hacking Mobil Telephone System ?

["Peter Trei" <trei@process.com>]

> On Wed, 11 Sep 1996, Stephan Schmidt wrote:
> 
> > The German Company MobilCom wants to proove
> > that the German GSM networks D1,D2 and E+ are
> > secure.
> > 
> <snip>
> > 
> > If a hacker is able to phone using the number
> > 0171 / 3 28 99 66 in Germany with a hacked code,
> > the company will pay 100.000 DM (~65.000$) to a non
> > profit organisation of the hackers choice.
> > 
> > Is someone able to do this ? :)
> 
> While there's dubious wisdom in trying to tell Der Polizei, "I was just
> responding to an authorization that I found on the Internet that says it's
> OK to phreak your phones - honest," I'd also expect to get paid a hell of
> a lot more than $65 for doing a penetration test on their network.  Sixty
> five bucks won't even pay the per diem, none the less a reasonable wage.
> And Der Polizei is *NOT* known for having a sense of humor about anything,
> at any time, with anyone.  Remember, kids, they may look like shit in
> uniform, but those automatic weapons they carry are real, so's the ammo,
> and they know how to use both of 'em.

The simple solution is to call the number from a regular phone, and find
out if the offer is correct.

I think you'll find that '100.000 DM (~65.000$)' is European nomenclature
for '100,000 DM (~65,000$).

The differences between US and European nomenclature can be subtle, yet
important. Quick - which is likely to have had warmer weather: 1/8/96, or
8/1/96?



 


Peter Trei
Senior Software Engineer
Purveyor Development Team                                
Process Software Corporation
http://www.process.com
trei@process.com