CAPEC-618: Cellular Broadcast Message Request
In this attack scenario, the attacker uses knowledge of the target’s mobile phone number (i.e., the number associated with the SIM used in the retransmission device) to cause the cellular network to send broadcast messages to alert the mobile device. Since the network knows which cell tower the target’s mobile device is attached to, the broadcast messages are only sent in the Location Area Code (LAC) where the target is currently located. By triggering the cellular broadcast message and then listening for the presence or absence of that message, an attacker could verify that the target is in (or not in) a given location.
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Overview
CAPEC-618 (Cellular Broadcast Message Request) is a detailed-level attack pattern catalogued by MITRE in the Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC). It describes a recurring method attackers use to exploit software weaknesses.
What the attacker needs
Prerequisites
- The attacker must have knowledge of the target’s mobile phone number.
Skills required
- Low skill: Open source and commercial tools are available for this attack.
Consequences
What a successful CAPEC-618 attack can achieve.
Other
Affects: Other
An attacker could verify that the target is in (or not in) a given location.
How to mitigate it
Defenses that reduce the risk of CAPEC-618.
- Frequent changing of mobile number.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about CAPEC-618.
- What is CAPEC-618?
- In this attack scenario, the attacker uses knowledge of the target’s mobile phone number (i.e., the number associated with the SIM used in the retransmission device) to cause the cellular network to send broadcast messages to alert the mobile device. Since the network knows which cell tower the target’s mobile device is attached to, the broadcast messages are only sent in the Location Area Code (LAC) where the target is currently located. By triggering the cellular broadcast message and then listening for the presence or absence of that message, an attacker could verify that the target is in (or not in) a given location.
- How do you prevent CAPEC-618?
- Frequent changing of mobile number.
- What weaknesses does CAPEC-618 target?
- CAPEC-618 exploits 1 CWE weakness, including CWE-201 (Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data).
- How severe is CAPEC-618?
- MITRE rates CAPEC-618 as Low severity.
References
Attack-pattern data is sourced from the MITRE CAPEC catalog (v3.9). Weakness associations link to the corresponding CWE entries on RadicalNotion.AI.
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