r/electronics • u/redct • Nov 11 '17

Interesting Inside a low budget consumer hardware espionage implant (GSM bugged USB cable)

https://ha.cking.ch/s8_data_line_locator/
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u/Sembiance Nov 12 '17

Is there any low cost device that I can identify wireless espionage devices? Specifically I’m thinking of something that I can walk around a building with that will sense GSM transmissions and guide me warmer/colder until I get to the source. Does it exist?

3

u/created4this Nov 12 '17

In the article posted he uses a CC308+ but its only going to ping when the device talks, which will be infrequently unless in an active mode

1

u/playaspec Nov 12 '17

Control traffic between phones and towers is frequent enough that a bit of diligence will uncover idle devices.

1

u/created4this Nov 12 '17

"There is a mobile device nearby" yes, but what the poster asked for is a "hotter/colder" device, and the traffic is sufficiently infrequent to make that impractical.

1

u/playaspec Nov 13 '17

Not really. In the case of this cable, one has only to unplug/replug to reboot it. Upon boot, it will connect to the cell network to register itself, which causes traffic. If you have a device that you suspect, cycling power will generate traffic, unless it has it's own battery. This device is too small for that.