technology
Iran used SS7 protocol flaws to locate U.S. military personnel, report says
Iran exploited known vulnerabilities in global cellphone networks to track and strike U.S. military personnel in Iraq, Bahrain, and other Middle East locations before and during the Iran War, according to Financial Times reporting.
Jul 14, 11:14 AM·1m read1 source
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The Iranian government used well-known flaws in the Signaling System 7 protocol to locate U.S. military personnel stationed at bases and hotels in Iraq, Bahrain, and other Middle East countries, the Financial Times reported. SS7 is a set of protocols that route calls and texts across 2G and 3G networks worldwide.
Intelligence agencies have previously used the same protocol to track cellphones abroad.
Additional surveillance method Iran also exploited advertising technology that delivers targeted ads to cellphone users, another established surveillance technique. The reported tracking occurred during the build-up to the Iran War and in its early days.
The strikes that followed resulted in several injuries. The newspaper cited research by the Mobile Surveillance Monitor and anonymous government officials with knowledge of the campaign.
