IMSI-catcher

This program shows you IMSI numbers, country, brand and operator of cellphones around you.

/!\ This program was made to understand how GSM network work. Not for bad hacking !

What you need

1 PC with Gnu/Linux. Tested with :

• debian 10
• Ubuntu 20.04/LinuxMint 20+
• Kali 2020+

1 SDR receiver. Tested with :

• USB DVB-T key (RTL2832U) with antenna (less than 15$)
• OsmocomBB phone
• HackRF
• BladeRF

Setup

git clone https://github.com/Oros42/IMSI-catcher.git
cd IMSI-catcher

or

wget https://github.com/Oros42/IMSI-catcher/archive/master.zip && unzip -q master.zip
cd IMSI-catcher-master

sudo apt install python3-numpy python3-scipy python3-scapy

Warning : don't use python 3.9 (ctypes bug)!

You have the choice with 2 types of gr-gsm's install : in your OS or with docker.

Install gr-gsm in your OS (recommended)

sudo apt-get install -y \
    cmake \
    autoconf \
    libtool \
    pkg-config \
    build-essential \
    python3-docutils \
    libcppunit-dev \
    swig \
    doxygen \
    liblog4cpp5-dev \
    gnuradio-dev \
    gr-osmosdr \
    libosmocore-dev \
    liborc-0.4-dev \
    swig

gnuradio-config-info -v

if >= 3.10 (read this AskUbuntu answer for details):

git clone -b maint-3.10_with_multiarfcn https://github.com/bkerler/gr-gsm

else if >= 3.8:

git clone -b maint-3.8 https://github.com/velichkov/gr-gsm.git

else (3.7):

git clone https://git.osmocom.org/gr-gsm

cd gr-gsm
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j 4
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
echo 'export PYTHONPATH=/usr/local/lib/python3/dist-packages/:$PYTHONPATH' >> ~/.bashrc

Importlib vs Imp

Beginning with Python 3.1, Imp is replaced by importlib. Imp is deprecated in Python 3.11, with the new requirements met as follows.

apt install python3-pip
pip install importlib

Install gr-gsm with Docker

sudo xhost +local:docker
docker pull atomicpowerman/imsi-catcher
docker run -ti --net=host -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY --privileged -v /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb  atomicpowerman/imsi-catcher bash

Run all grgsm_* in this docker.

Usage

We use grgsm_livemon to decode GSM signals and simple_IMSI-catcher.py to find IMSIs.

python3 simple_IMSI-catcher.py -h

Usage: simple_IMSI-catcher.py: [options]

Options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -a, --alltmsi         Show TMSI who haven't got IMSI (default  : false)
  -i IFACE, --iface=IFACE
                        Interface (default : lo)
  -m IMSI, --imsi=IMSI  IMSI to track (default : None, Example:
                        123456789101112 or "123 45 6789101112")
  -p PORT, --port=PORT  Port (default : 4729)
  -s, --sniff           sniff on interface instead of listening on port
                        (require root/suid access)
  -w SQLITE, --sqlite=SQLITE
                        Save observed IMSI values to specified SQLite file
  -t TXT, --txt=TXT     Save observed IMSI values to specified TXT file
  -z, --mysql           Save observed IMSI values to specified MYSQL DB (copy
                        .env.dist to .env and edit it)

Open 2 terminals.

In terminal 1

sudo python3 simple_IMSI-catcher.py -s

In terminal 2

grgsm_livemon

Now, change the frequency until it display, in terminal, something like that :

15 06 21 00 01 f0 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b
25 06 21 00 05 f4 f8 68 03 26 23 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b 2b
49 06 1b 95 cc 02 f8 02 01 9c c8 03 1e 57 a5 01 79 00 00 1c 13 2b 2b

Wireshark

You can watch GSM packets with wireshark.

sudo apt install wireshark
sudo wireshark -k -Y '!icmp && gsmtap' -i lo

Find frequencies

grgsm_scanner

ARFCN:  974, Freq:  925.0M, CID:     2, LAC:   1337, MCC: 208, MNC:  20, Pwr: -41
ARFCN:  976, Freq:  925.4M, CID:  4242, LAC:   1007, MCC: 208, MNC:  20, Pwr: -45

Now, you can set the frequency for grgsm_livemon :

grgsm_livemon -f 925.4M

Or, for hackrf, fetch the kalibrate-hackrf tool like this:

sudo apt-get install automake autoconf libhackrf-dev
git clone https://github.com/scateu/kalibrate-hackrf
cd kalibrate-hackrf/
./bootstrap
./configure
make
sudo make install

Run

kal -s GSM900

kal: Scanning for GSM-900 base stations.
GSM-900:
	chan:   14 (937.8MHz + 10.449kHz)	power: 3327428.82
	chan:   15 (938.0MHz + 4.662kHz)	power: 3190712.41
...

Log data in mysql

Use db-example.sql to create your DB.

cp .env.dist .env
nano .env
# set your config
sudo apt install python-decouple python3-mysqldb

sudo python3 simple_IMSI-catcher.py -s --mysql

scan-and-livemon (no longer used)

Scan frequencies and listen the 1st found :
In terminal 1

python3 scan-and-livemon

In terminal 2

python3 simple_IMSI-catcher.py

Links

Setup of Gr-Gsm : https://osmocom.org/projects/gr-gsm/wiki/Installation and https://github.com/velichkov/gr-gsm
Frequency : http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html and https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_System_for_Mobile_Communications
Mobile Network Code : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Network_Code
Scapy : http://secdev.org/projects/scapy/doc/usage.html
IMSI : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMSI
Realtek RTL2832U : https://osmocom.org/projects/sdr/wiki/rtl-sdr and http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/rtl2832u and http://doc.ubuntu-fr.org/rtl-sdr

Donate

To support my work, a tipee would be nice ;-)
https://liberapay.com/Oros/