Iran ‘Hacked’ Mobile Networks To Hunt US Troops In West Asia. What Is SS7.
The Financial Times reported that telecommunications data from the Mobile Surveillance Monitor research project showed a rise in suspicious location requests known as SS7 pings.
SS7 is a signalling protocol used by telecom companies to allow mobile phones to connect while roaming outside their home networks. If exploited, it can reveal the approximate location of a mobile phone without the user’s knowledge.
Alongside missile strikes and military operations, a covert cyber campaign by Iran tracked US troops and contractors through Middle Eastern mobile networks and smartphone data, according to a Financial Times report that cited telecom data, cybersecurity experts and officials familiar with the matter.
The report said the suspected surveillance campaign took place in the weeks leading up to the US-Israeli military operation against Iran in late February and continued after Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on American bases across the region.
US lawmakers have repeatedly warned that weaknesses in global mobile phone systems and commercial location-tracking technology may have exposed American troops to surveillance during an active conflict.
According to the Financial Times, telecommunications data obtained from the Mobile Surveillance Monitor research project showed a surge in suspicious requests known as SS7 pings.