SnoopSnitch App uses radio signals to find nearby tracking devices

Free SnoopSnitch Android App notifies you if anybody is tracking you through SS7 attacks

A new free App on the Google play market, created by security researchers Alex Senier, Karsten Nohl, and Tobias Engel from SRLabs in Berlin, called SnoopSnitch is now available. SnoopSnitch can detect and warn smartphone users if their devices are giving up their personal information and connecting to them. The security researchers presented their App at the recently concluded Chaos Computer Congress’ annual hackers conference in Hamburg.

The official Google Play listing reads: ‘SnoopSnitch collects and analyzes mobile radio data to make you aware of your mobile network security and to warn you about threats like fake base stations (IMSI catchers), user tracking, and SS7 attacks.’

The SnoopSnitch App scans for signals that indicate a switch from a legitimate tower to a International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catcher aka ‘stingray’, where information may be being collected for intercepting mobile phone traffic and tracking the movement of smart-phone users.

The app can’t prevent a smart-phone from connecting to stingrays, but it does let a user know there is surveillance in a certain area.

The App combines granular control over who sees what with multi-conversation context and rich media to create a simple and intuitive way to have interactive, personal conversations allowing users to easily select who to start conversations with. Enabling users to add or remove people at any time.

It is important to note that currently SnoopSnitch only works with rooted Android handsets that have Qualcomm chips inside, such as Sony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy models.

So what are IMSI catchers / stingrays

IMSI catchers – eavesdropping devices used for intercepting mobile phone traffic and tracking the movement of smart-phone users they act like ‘fake’ mobile towers. These devices sit between a real phone and telecom tower to launch a man-in-the-middle attack and intercept data.

Once a phone has connected to a stingray, it allows a hacker/government agency with a IMSI catcher to intercept and convert data to audio, enabling them to listen to people’s phone calls. 

3 COMMENTS

  1. Nice, but you didn’t bother to mention that the software states AFTER installation that your phone has to be rooted in order to work.

  2. Actually, he did mention it here: “It is important to note that currently SnoopSnitch only works with rooted Android handsets that have Qualcomm chips inside, such as Sony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy models.”

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