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Awesome Cellular Hacking

A comprehensive curated list of resources for 2G/3G/4G/5G cellular security research and analysis

This repository consolidates community knowledge in the cellular security space, including exploits, research papers, tools, and educational resources. The goal is to preserve and organize important security research that might otherwise become difficult to find.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for educational and defensive security research purposes only. Use responsibly and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Table of Contents


Getting Started

New to cellular security research? This section outlines the recommended path for building foundational skills.

Skill Levels

Beginner (passive listening only)

  • Hardware: RTL-SDR V3 or V4 ($35-$40), a laptop running Linux
  • Software: GNU Radio, GQRX, gr-gsm
  • First project: Scan and decode GSM frames passively using gr-gsm and Wireshark
  • Reading: NIST SP 800-187 LTE Security Guide

Intermediate (active research lab)

  • Hardware: HackRF One or LimeSDR Mini ($139-$350), programmable SIM cards (sysmoUSIM), a spare Android device
  • Software: srsRAN 4G, Open5GS or Free5GC, OsmocomBB
  • First project: Build a private LTE network in a Faraday cage and connect a test device
  • Reading: srsRAN documentation, Open5GS tutorials

Advanced (protocol fuzzing and baseband research)

  • Hardware: USRP B210 or BladeRF 2.0, multiple test devices
  • Software: 5GBaseChecker, LTEFuzz, BaseBridge, SigPloit
  • Focus areas: Baseband fuzzing, RAN-Core interface testing, SS7/Diameter signaling

Lab Setup Checklist

  • Linux host (Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 recommended)
  • UHD drivers installed and device recognized (uhd_find_devices)
  • Faraday cage or RF shielding for active transmissions
  • Programmable SIM cards (sysmoUSIM-SJA2 or similar)
  • Dedicated test devices (not your daily driver)
  • Isolated network environment (no production network access)

Key Concepts to Understand First


Rogue Base Stations

GSM/CDMA Traffic Impersonation and Interception


Recent Updates (2024-2025)

New Research (2025)

Base Station Software and Tools (Updated)


Software and Tools

Base Station Software

Software Description Link
OpenBTS (2024 Reloaded) Updated Linux SDR-based GSM air interface for modern systems GitHub
OpenBTS (Original) Range Networks implementation SourceForge
YateBTS GSM/GPRS radio access network implementation Website
srsRAN Project Open-source 5G O-RAN CU/DU software suite GitHub
srsRAN 4G Open-source 4G software radio suite GitHub
OpenAirInterface Complete 4G/5G protocol stack Website
Free5GC Open-source 5G core network implementation GitHub
Kamailio Open-source SIP server used in IMS/VoLTE labs Website

Configuration Guides

Analysis Tools

  • LTE-Cell-Scanner — LTE cell detection and analysis
  • gr-gsm — GSM analysis with GNU Radio
  • IMSI-Catcher Detector — Android app for detecting IMSI catchers
  • QCSuper — Capture 2G-4G traffic using Qualcomm phones
  • 5GBaseChecker — Automated 5G baseband vulnerability detection (Penn State, 2024)
  • FALCON LTE — Fast analysis of LTE control channels in real-time
  • Kalibrate — GSM base station scanner and frequency calibration
  • LTE Sniffer — Open-source LTE downlink/uplink eavesdropper
  • OsmocomBB — Free firmware for mobile phone baseband processors
  • Modmobmap — Mobile network mapping
  • Modmobjam — Mobile jamming research tool
  • CITesting — Systematic testing of context integrity violations in LTE core networks (KAIST, 2025)
  • SigPloit — SS7/Diameter/GTP/SIP signaling security testing framework
  • LTEFuzz — LTE protocol fuzzer from KAIST, predecessor to CITesting; generates malformed NAS/RRC messages
  • Crocodile Hunter — EFF open-source tool for detecting rogue cell towers by wardriving
  • SCAT — Signaling Collection and Analysis Tool; captures diagnostic logs from Qualcomm and Samsung basebands
  • ss7map — SS7 network exposure mapping by P1 Security
  • Diameter EAP Tool (DET) — Diameter protocol fuzzing and testing
  • Osmocom Suite — Complete open-source GSM/GPRS stack: osmo-nitb, osmo-bts, osmo-sgsn, osmo-msc and more

Hardware Setup

USRP Installation on Linux

# Add Ettus Research repository
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ettusresearch/uhd
sudo apt-get update

# Install UHD drivers and tools
sudo apt-get install libuhd-dev libuhd003 uhd-host

# Find connected devices
uhd_find_devices

# Download firmware images
cd /usr/lib/uhd/utils/
./uhd_images_downloader.py

# Test device connection
sudo uhd_usrp_probe

SDR Hardware Options

Hardware Frequency Range Bandwidth Price Range Use Case Link
Ettus Research (USRP)
USRP B210 70 MHz - 6 GHz 61.44 MHz $2,100 Professional development, 2x2 MIMO Ettus
USRP B200mini 70 MHz - 6 GHz 61.44 MHz $775 Compact USRP B-series Ettus
USRP N210 DC - 6 GHz 25 MHz $1,700 High-performance networked SDR Ettus
USRP N320 1 MHz - 6 GHz 200 MHz $8,000 Networked 2x2 MIMO Ettus
USRP X310 DC - 6 GHz 160 MHz $6,000 High-performance desktop/rack Ettus
USRP X410 1 MHz - 7.2 GHz 400 MHz $15,000 Latest high-performance 4x4 MIMO Ettus
USRP X440 30 MHz - 4 GHz 1.6 GHz $25,000+ Latest 8x8 MIMO RFSoC platform Ettus
USRP E320 70 MHz - 6 GHz 56 MHz $4,000 Embedded 2x2 MIMO SDR Ettus
Nuand (BladeRF)
BladeRF 2.0 xA4 47 MHz - 6 GHz 61.44 MHz $420 Budget 2x2 MIMO development Nuand
BladeRF 2.0 xA9 47 MHz - 6 GHz 61.44 MHz $720 High FPGA resources, 2x2 MIMO Nuand
BladeRF x40 (Legacy) 300 MHz - 3.8 GHz 40 MHz $400 Entry-level legacy model Nuand
Great Scott Gadgets
HackRF One 1 MHz - 6 GHz 20 MHz $350 Budget TX/RX development GSG
YARD Stick One 300-348, 391-464, 782-928 MHz 2.5 MHz $110 Sub-GHz IoT frequencies GSG
Lime Microsystems
LimeSDR USB 100 kHz - 3.8 GHz 61.44 MHz $289 Open-source 2x2 MIMO Lime Micro
LimeSDR Mini 10 MHz - 3.5 GHz 30.72 MHz $139 Compact LimeSDR variant Lime Micro
LimeSDR Mini 2.0 10 MHz - 3.5 GHz 30.72 MHz $169 Updated with ECP5 FPGA Lime Micro
LimeSDR X3 Various bands Up to 61.44 MHz $3,000+ Professional 3x transceiver PCIe Lime Micro
Analog Devices
PlutoSDR 325 MHz - 3.8 GHz 20 MHz $150 Education and learning platform Analog Devices
RTL-SDR Blog
RTL-SDR V3 500 kHz - 1.75 GHz 3.2 MHz $35 Ultra-budget RX-only scanner RTL-SDR
RTL-SDR V4 500 kHz - 1.75 GHz 3.2 MHz $40 Latest with R828D tuner RTL-SDR
Airspy
Airspy R2 24 MHz - 1.8 GHz 10 MHz $200 High-performance VHF/UHF scanner Airspy
Airspy Mini 24 MHz - 1.8 GHz 6 MHz $99 Compact Airspy in dongle format Airspy
Airspy HF+ Discovery 9 kHz - 31 MHz, 60-260 MHz 768 kHz $169 Dedicated HF reception Airspy
SDRplay
RSP1A 1 kHz - 2 GHz 10 MHz $119 Wideband general purpose SDRplay
RSPdx 1 kHz - 2 GHz 10 MHz $299 Professional features, dual antenna SDRplay
Red Pitaya
STEMlab 125-14 DC - 60 MHz 50 MHz $600 HF transceiver, lab instrument Red Pitaya
STEMlab 122-16 DC - 50 MHz Variable $625 High-resolution HF SDR/scope Red Pitaya

Common SDR Issues and Troubleshooting

Issue Possible Causes
Device not detected Improper firmware, USB connection issues
Poor signal quality Incorrect antennas, wrong frequency configuration
Connection failures Wrong SIM, incorrect MCC/MNC codes
Performance issues Virtualized platform limitations, wrong SDR firmware

Testing and Research Methodologies

Modern Baseband Fuzzing (2024-2025)

  • Budget-Friendly Baseband Fuzzing Setup — DefCon 32, Janne Taponen

    Covers building cost-effective baseband fuzzing rigs using SDRs, using LLMs to accelerate protocol parser development, and testing automotive ECUs, payment terminals, and mobile devices.

  • RANsacked Fuzzing Framework — University of Florida / NC State, ACM CCS 2024

    Domain-informed fuzzing approach targeting RAN-Core interfaces. Discovered 119 vulnerabilities across ten network implementations.

  • BaseBridge — IEEE S&P 2025

    Framework that bridges over-the-air and emulation-based testing for cellular baseband firmware.

Vulnerability Research Tools

  • 5GBaseChecker — Automated 5G baseband vulnerability detection
  • CITesting — Context integrity violation testing for LTE core networks
  • certmitm — TLS implementation testing tool

Attack Vectors

Radio Jamming Attacks

From NIST SP 800-187:

  • Smart Jamming — Targeted channel interference timed to avoid detection
  • Dumb Jamming — Broadband noise across frequency ranges
  • UE Interface Jamming — Preventing UE signaling to eNodeB
  • eNodeB Interface Jamming — Disrupting base station communications

5G Security Research

LTE/4G Security Research


Conference Talks

ACM CCS 2025

IEEE S&P 2025

Black Hat USA 2024

  • 5G Baseband Vulnerabilities — Penn State University

    Researchers disclosed 12 vulnerabilities in 5G basebands from Samsung, MediaTek, and Qualcomm, affecting devices from Google, OPPO, OnePlus, Motorola, and Samsung. Accompanied by the release of the 5GBaseChecker tool.

DefCon 32 (2024)

Black Hat USA 2022

Black Hat USA 2021

Black Hat USA 2020

Additional Conference Resources


Research Papers

2025

2024

2019-2023


Equipment and Hardware

Research Equipment Used in "Over The Air Baseband Exploit"

Component Purpose Link
Ettus USRP B210 Software Defined Radio Product Page
srsENB 4G/5G Base Station Software GitHub
Open5GS 5G Core Network GitHub
sysmo-usim-tool SIM Programming Project Page
pysim SIM Analysis Tool GitHub
CoIMS VoLTE Testing Play Store
Docker Open5GS Containerized Core Tutorial

Detection and Defense

Protection from Stingrays and IMSI Catchers

  • CellGuard — SEEMOO Lab, 2024

    iOS app that detects rogue base stations by analyzing baseband packets in real-time. Integrates with the Apple Cell Location Database for anomaly detection. WebsiteTestFlight Beta

IMSI Catcher Detection and Research

Security Advisories


Cellular IoT and NB-IoT Security


Satellite-Cellular Integration


Private 5G Network Security


Network Slicing and Edge Security


Automotive and Industrial Cellular


Forensics and Investigation


Vulnerability Disclosure


SIM Security


SS7 and Telecom Infrastructure

SS7 Attack Research

SS7/Diameter Testing Tools

  • SigPloit — Modular testing framework for SS7, Diameter, GTP, and SIP; covers location tracking, call/SMS interception, and DoS scenarios
  • ss7map — Automated SS7 network topology and exposure mapper
  • SCTP scanner — Discovers SCTP-based SS7 endpoints on IP networks

Surveillance Technology

Stingray / IMSI Catchers


Recent CVEs and Updates


International Research


Training and Education


Vendor-Specific Research


Roaming and Interconnect Security


Resources

Development and Analysis Tools

Research Collections

Legal and Regulatory

Additional Reading


Community

Mailing Lists and Forums

IRC and Chat

  • Osmocom IRC — #osmocom on libera.chat; real-time support for Osmocom tools
  • DEF CON RF Village — Annual RF hacking community track at DEF CON

Conferences to Follow

  • DEF CON — RF Village, Wireless Village, and main track cellular talks
  • Black Hat USA/Europe — Regular cellular/baseband research presentations
  • WiSec — ACM Conference on Security and Privacy in Wireless and Mobile Networks
  • IEEE S&P / CCS / USENIX Security — Top-tier academic venue for cellular security papers
  • HITB — Regular telecom security talks

Contributing

Fork the repo, add resources with descriptions, verify links are active, and submit a pull request with context on what was added.

Legal Notice

This repository is for educational and research purposes only. Users are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations. The maintainers do not endorse or encourage illegal activities.


Last Updated: March 2026 Maintainer: @W00t3k

Broken links or new resources? Open an issue or submit a PR.

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