Presented at
Black Hat USA 2011,
Aug. 3, 2011, 10 a.m.
(60 minutes)
Devices have been attached to the telephone network for years. Typically, we think of these devices in terms of modems, faxes, or TTY systems. Now, there is a growing shift in the nature of the devices that are accessible over the telephone network. Today, A-GPS tracking devices, 3G Security Cameras, Urban Traffic Control systems, SCADA sensors, Home Control and Automation systems, and even vehicles are now telephony enabled. These systems often receive control messages over the telephone network in the form of text messages (SMS) or GPRS data. These messages can trigger actions such as firmware updates, Are You There requests, or even solicitations for data. As a result, it is imperative for mobile researchers to understand how these systems can be detected by attackers on the global telephone network, then potentially abused.
These systems are increasingly capable of affecting the physical world around us. Additionally, devices attached to the phone network cannot be easily compartmentalized or firewalled from potential abusers the same way that IP enabled systems can. Therefore, understanding the threat models associated with these devices and the telephone network will allow mobile researchers and embedded engineers to correctly implement security solutions that minimize a device's exposure to threat actors.
Empirical evidence will be presented that demonstrates creative and successful ways to classify potential devices amongst millions of phone numbers world wide. Once properly classified, devices can be interacted with in simple and efficient ways that will be revealed by the speaker. Simple scripts and software will be released that exemplify these techniques with real world examples, but are designed in a pluggable fashion that allows mobile researchers to develop their own device profiles and methods for interaction.
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