A Network Based IMSI Catcher Detection

The weaknesses of 2G combined with the need for backward compatibility make all the mobile networks 2G, 3G and 4G vulnerable to Man-in-the- Middle attacks using fake base stations ("IMSI Catchers"). Such equipment used to be quite expensive and unaffordable for most people. However, with the fall of hardware prices and the emergence of open source software, it is possible to build an IMSI catcher for less than two thousand dollars. The user privacy has never before been threatened as today. The existing detection systems is based on software applications installed on smartphones or special dedicated stand-alone systems. These systems are both expensive and have a limited range of detection. We propose a new detection method that uses existing GSM infrastructure to identify and detect IMSI Catchers. The benefits of this method include the protection of all users on total coverage of the operator's network and the cost saving since no extra equipment is required.