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The Telecom Digest for July 16, 2011
Volume 30 : Issue 175 : "text" Format
Messages in this Issue:
Re: Tracing Calls w/Spoofed Numbers?(Sam Spade)
Re: Motorola Phone Tools(Rudy Valencia)
Re: Motorola Phone Tools(GlowingBlueMist)
Re: Motorola Phone Tools(Geoffrey Welsh)
Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers(David Clayton)
Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers(T)
Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers(David Lesher)
Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers(Pete Cresswell)
Re: Battery power support today(David Lesher)
Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers(Jim Bennett)

====== 29 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. All contents here are copyrighted by Bill Horne and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email.
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We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime.  - Geoffrey Welsh

See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer, and other stuff of interest. 




Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:11:51 -0700
From: Sam Spade <sam@coldmail.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Tracing Calls w/Spoofed Numbers? 
Message-ID: <9f-dnXmxPI31j73TnZ2dnUVZ_oWdnZ2d@giganews.com>

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Is this even possible - given the resources of a government?
> 
> I keep getting these lame-sounding letters from the Pennsylvania
> (USA) AG's office explaining why they can't do anything about
> telephone solicitors calling my cell phone.
> 
> The reason given is that they are offshore, spoofing CallerID,
> and/or relaying calls through multiple servers.
> 
> But the cynic in me thinks that if those same calls were to a
> high-ranking politician, perhaps threatening bodily harm... that
> the NSA would be all over the perp in a matter of days - if not
> hours or minutes.
> 
> Am I wrong?

Perhaps you're right, given the vast technology that the NSA has.  Then 
again, they have enough to do without tracking down calls that are only 
a civil nuisance.




Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:59:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rudy Valencia <rudyvalencia@gmail.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Motorola Phone Tools 
Message-ID: <bd48c870-414f-48e4-9593-4ca6ab6d153b@m5g2000prh.googlegroups.com>

On Jun 13, 6:57 pm, tlvp <PtUlRvGEpTrHeEs...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I bought a RAZR V3 USB data cable with Motorola Phone Tools
> at an at&t phone store. It's worked well for tethering with
> a Motorola SLVR (aka L2) produced for Cingular/at&t, but I
> wonder: will it work just as well for tethering a RAZR V3
> produced for T-Voicestream/T-Mobile? Or will the RAZR's use
> of 1700 MHz where the L2 uses 1900 MHz put a crimp in things?
>
> TIA for any comments of any help. And cheers, -- tlvp

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't have any problem with
tethering. The best thing is to just try it, if in doubt.

***** Moderator's Note *****

What is tethering, please?

Bill Horne
Moderator




Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:32:02 -0500
From: GlowingBlueMist <glowingbluemist@truely.invalid>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Motorola Phone Tools 
Message-ID: <4e205d85$0$12959$892e0abb@auth.newsreader.octanews.com>

On 7/14/2011 11:59 PM, Rudy Valencia wrote:
> On Jun 13, 6:57 pm, tlvp<PtUlRvGEpTrHeEs...@hotmail.com>  wrote:
>> I bought a RAZR V3 USB data cable with Motorola Phone Tools
>> at an at&t phone store. It's worked well for tethering with
>> a Motorola SLVR (aka L2) produced for Cingular/at&t, but I
>> wonder: will it work just as well for tethering a RAZR V3
>> produced for T-Voicestream/T-Mobile? Or will the RAZR's use
>> of 1700 MHz where the L2 uses 1900 MHz put a crimp in things?
>>
>> TIA for any comments of any help. And cheers, -- tlvp
>
> I don't see any reason why it wouldn't have any problem with
> tethering. The best thing is to just try it, if in doubt.
>
> ***** Moderator's Note *****
>
> What is tethering, please?
>
> Bill Horne
> Moderator
>
Basically it is the use of a cellular phone being used as a data modem 
for a PC or other device that can be attached to the phone using a USB 
adapter cable or in some cases using Bluetooth.

Here is a link with more info:
http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/phonesformobileworkers/f/what-is-tethering.htm




Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:14:21 -0400
From: Geoffrey Welsh <gwelsh@spamcop.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Motorola Phone Tools 
Message-ID: <hr61271erlocttnfpif6infdj8g4hk7uln@4ax.com>

>Bill Horne wrote:

>What is tethering, please?

Leveraging your phone's data network capabilities for other devices
such as a laptop.  For example, you can combine an iPhone's 3G and
WifI capabilities to create a hotspot that uses the mobile network for
outside connectivity.

When you install Motorola Phone Tools and leave your Motorola phone
(don't know which models, but I've owned a V3 RAZR and a K1 KRZR) in
Modem/COM mode (as opposed to turning it into a USB memory stick),
your PC will see it as a USB modem.  (It also has the side benefit of
charging your phone through the USB port... cheers to Motorola for
choosing mini USB as their charging socket!)

I'm an extreme cheapskate so I don't have a data plan for my cellphone
and live in Canada as well so thus I can't comment on the original
poster's question about whether a given carrier will permit this.




Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:43:35 +1000
From: David Clayton <dcstarbox-usenet@yahoo.com.au>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers   
Message-ID: <pan.2011.07.14.13.43.32.48944@yahoo.com.au>

On Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:34:15 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote:

> 
> Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers Online services guide
> the way
> 
> By Hiawatha Bray
> Globe Staff / July 13, 2011
> 
> Breaking into someone's voice mailbox - in the style of the hackers at the
> British tabloid News of the World - can be as easy in the United States as
> it is on the other side of the Atlantic.
> 
> It is done using a readily available online service known as "caller ID
> spoofing,'' which can make a call appear to be coming from any phone
> number. Hackers can use it to access someone else's voice mail messages by
> fooling the system into thinking the call is coming from the owner's
> cellphone.
............ 
I seem to remember that Voice Mail services from network providers used
the secure ID data (used for 1-800 etc.), not the stuff that can be
spoofed and appears on your phone.

I would be shocked if this was not the case!

-- 
Regards, David.

David Clayton
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Knowledge is a measure of how many answers you have, intelligence is a
measure of how many questions you have.




Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:26:15 -0400
From: T <kd1s.nospam@cox.nospam.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers   
Message-ID: <MPG.28893710b5a45b30989d43@news.eternal-september.org>

In article <p06240834ca434104e51d@[10.0.1.4]>, monty@roscom.com says...
> 
> Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers
> Online services guide the way
> 
> By Hiawatha Bray
> Globe Staff / July 13, 2011
> 
> Breaking into someone's voice mailbox - in the style of the hackers 
> at the British tabloid News of the World - can be as easy in the 
> United States as it is on the other side of the Atlantic.
> 
> It is done using a readily available online service known as "caller 
> ID spoofing,'' which can make a call appear to be coming from any 
> phone number. Hackers can use it to access someone else's voice mail 
> messages by fooling the system into thinking the call is coming from 
> the owner's cellphone.
> 
> If the mailbox is not protected by a password, as is often the case, 
> the attacker can hear and even delete messages in the target's voice 
> mailbox.
> 
> There are numerous spoofing services in the United States; all you 
> need to do is Google them. Although these services are used by 
> hackers to commit crimes, they're also used legitimately by, for 
> example, battered women who do not want their calls traced, or law 
> enforcement agents operating undercover.
> 
> ...
> 
> http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2011/07/13/most_cellphone_voice_mail_is_vulnerable/

This was the case with Sprint phones some time ago. Actually assisted 
someone in hacking their SO's voicemail using a MagicJack adapter and a 
PERL script that allowed you to set your outbound CLID to anything your 
heart desired. 

All you had to do was dial the Sprint cell phone number with your CLID 
data set to that number. It would let you right into the voicemail. 




Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:53:57 +0000 (UTC)
From: David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers   
Message-ID: <ivns25$s17$2@reader1.panix.com>

Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> writes:

>It is done using a readily available online service known as "caller 
>ID spoofing,'' which can make a call appear to be coming from any 
>phone number. Hackers can use it to access someone else's voice mail 
>messages by fooling the system into thinking the call is coming from 
>the owner's cellphone.

I recall John Higdon discussing this very scenero here, at least
a decade ago. The carrier's response was to have a big time law
firm call him up and hassle him.

-- 
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433




Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:33:07 -0400
From: Pete Cresswell <x@y.Invalid.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers     
Message-ID: <0bg0271pmaq1fh4aglc9nokfk5e7h8cbuu@4ax.com>

Per David Lesher:
>A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
>& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
>Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
>is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

Is the verse to defeat 'bots?

If so, is that a real email addr... and does the verse work?

-- 
PeteCresswell




Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:23:36 +0000 (UTC)
From: David Lesher <wb8foz@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Battery power support today
Message-ID: <ivnj88$15q$1@reader1.panix.com>

moroney@world.std.spaamtrap.com (Michael Moroney) writes:

>Lisa or Jeff <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> writes:

>>What confuses me is why bother to convert to DC and back to AC
>>instead of merely generating at AC and using that?

>Variable Frequency Drives supply AC motors with AC at a
>frequency (and voltage) appropiate to the current speed of the
>train.

And only in the recent past have VFD's been available to serve
locomotives, i.e. at sizes/prices/reliability that makes sense.
The transit market has been far faster to adopt them than
mainline railraods. Subways spend all day starting and stopping;
railroads hope to not. 
-- 
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433




Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:06:35 -0400
From: ajbcommconsulting@frontier.com (Jim Bennett)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers 
Message-ID: <4E1F848B.8020005@frontier.com>

On 2011-07-13 08:34, Monty Solomon wrote:
>
> Most cellphone voice mail is vulnerable to hackers
> Online services guide the way
>
> By Hiawatha Bray
> Globe Staff / July 13, 2011
>
> Breaking into someone's voice mailbox - in the style of the hackers
> at the British tabloid News of the World...<snip>

I was hoping this would come up for discussion, because I just don't get 
it.  Cell providers actually use CID info to determine that a subscriber 
is calling their own number in order to check their mail?

What ever happened to ANI?  I'm confused [more than usual].

Jim
**************************************************
Speaking from a secure undisclosed location.





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