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Getting a stranger’s phone kicked off the cellular network costs a few dollars

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Getting a stranger’s phone kicked off the cellular network costs a few dollars

Researchers at Michigan State University and three partner institutions demonstrated that attackers can disable a stranger's phone by spoofing a lost device report to a carrier. Using a new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, the team copied the identification number from the sealed box, reported it as lost, and confirmed the phone could not connect to the network even when properly activated. The study identified six security weaknesses in cellular carrier systems that enable this attack.

Why it matters: Mobile carriers and device manufacturers are affected by a low-cost denial of service attack that requires no authentication or access to the victim's account, and practitioners responsible for mobile security or carrier operations should understand this trivial attack vector.

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