Citizen Lab Finds Surveillance Vendors Abused Telecom Networks to Track Users
Summary
Citizen Lab reported that surveillance vendors used hidden SMS commands and weaknesses in SS7 and Diameter signaling to track users’ locations. Researchers said traffic routing suggested a possible link to an Israeli company.
Key points
- Citizen Lab described two campaigns that exploited telecom infrastructure to locate targets.
- One campaign used hidden SMS commands intended to turn devices into covert tracking beacons.
- The campaigns abused SS7 weaknesses and Diameter implementations lacking security safeguards, affecting older and newer mobile networks.
- Three mobile networks repeatedly appeared as entry and transit points for the surveillance traffic.
- Researchers said traffic-routing analysis suggested a possible link to an Israeli company; the article does not present this as confirmed attribution.
- A Citizen Lab researcher characterized the unauthorized signaling traffic as widespread.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Citizen Lab reported surveillance campaigns exploiting weaknesses in telecommunications signaling infrastructure to track targets’ locations.
- Impact
- The reported campaigns used hidden SMS commands and weaknesses in SS7 and Diameter to obtain users’ location data and covertly track devices. Researchers described large volumes of unauthorized signaling traffic; routing analysis suggested, but did not confirm, involvement by an Israeli company.