How to listen to the phone without installing programs. How to understand that your phone is being tapped. Is it possible to buy a bug for wiretapping

Getting access to a cell phone to listen to it is actually not that difficult. However, there are ways to prevent the invasion of your privacy.


Each of us has a cell phone. When was the last time you left home without your cell phone? It must have been by accident. It's no secret that we use phones very often, we are already actually dependent on them and their capabilities.

We're not trying to scare you, but do you know how easy it is to access them from outside? If someone wants to eavesdrop on your conversations, read SMS messages and track you using GPS, they will do it.

There are many reasons why a person wants to eavesdrop on someone else's phone conversation. It can be a curious boss, a jealous spouse, a burglar or a telephone bully.

It's illegal to spy on someone's phone without the owner's permission, but it happens. It doesn't have to happen to you, but if you suspect that someone is reading your SMS, then here are some useful tips on how to spot the villain.

Battery temperature

One of the likely indicators of the presence of "wiretapping" is the battery. Feel your phone while you're not using it - if it's warm or even hot, it's still in use. Keep in mind that heat comes primarily from overuse. The battery may only be hot if the phone has been in use for some time.

Phone drains very fast

Charge your mobile phone more often than usual - get another sign of a potential threat. If you haven't been using your gadget more than usual, it's possible that your phone is being used by someone without your knowledge. When a mobile phone is tapped, it loses battery much faster. A bugged mobile phone is constantly recording conversations in the room, even if it looks like it is lying idle.

You can use the BatteryLife LX or Battery LED apps for iPhone to monitor your battery drain rate.

Note: Mobile phones tend to lose maximum battery power over time. If your phone is more than a year old, then the battery capacity will steadily decrease depending on the intensity of use.


Turn off delay

When you turn off your phone and see a long delay, the backlight stays on for a long time, or the phone just refuses to turn off, it's possible that you're hooked. Always notice unusual phone behavior. Although, the described problems can be caused by malfunctions in the hardware or software of the phone.

strange activity

When your phone is working, does it happen that the backlight suddenly lights up, some applications are installed by themselves, does it spontaneously turn off? Strange behavior may be a signal that someone is remotely controlling this device. By the way, this can also happen due to interference in data transmission.

background noise

When you talk, the phone "on tap" can interfere. Something like echoes, electric shocks, clicks - these sounds can be caused by the environment, interference on the connection ... or someone listening to you. If you hear a pulsing noise from your phone when you're not using it, it could be a serious problem.

Interference

If you use your phone in close proximity to other electronic devices (such as a TV) and it interferes with them, then this may be due to the presence of foreign devices in the mobile phone case. In most cases, interference is normal, but if it occurs when you are not using the phone, then this may well mean that you are "under the hood".

Become a disinformer

If you suspect that your phone conversation is being tapped or recorded by someone you know, you can try to misinform the spy in order to accurately confirm this suspicion. Give someone you trust your "secret" personal information over the phone. If you find out later that outsiders found out, then that might be a yes answer.

Get help

If you have reason to believe that your mobile phone is being tapped, seek help. The police are also an option, as they have the equipment to check the phone, but you should only go down this path if you are sure that you are being tapped. For example, if the information that you once discussed with a reliable business partner “leaked” in an amazing way, and in no other way could anyone know about it.

Conclusion

Still, don't be paranoid.

In varying degrees, the above signs were noted by literally everyone.

The chances of being "hooked" by someone are very small. Most of the problems described above can be explained by poor communication, an old battery, firmware glitches - but there are some signs that you should pay attention to in any case. If you are a Good Samaritan, then you have every chance that your phone is clean.

If you want to be safe, then you should lock your phone with a password and keep it with you at all times.

Do not hope that simply by turning off the phone with the button you can protect yourself from wiretapping. The microphone does not turn off, and the location of the device is tracked.

If you are not using it, remove the battery from the compartment to be sure that you are not being tapped. Moreover, if you just need to become invisible for billing, you need to remove the battery without first turning off the phone with the button.

8 secret codes for your cell phone

1) *#06# . Allows you to find out the unique IMEI number of any smartphone, including the iPhone.

2) *#21# . Allows you to get information about the included call forwarding - calls, messages and other data. Very handy if you want to check if someone is spying on you.

3) *#62# . With this command, you can find out which number incoming calls are forwarded to if iPhone is turned off or out of network coverage.

4) ##002# . Disables any call forwarding. Thus, only you will receive them.

5) *#30# . Provides information about determining the number of an incoming subscriber

6) *#33# . Shows information about blocking outgoing supported services such as calls, SMS and other data.

7) *#43# . Displays call waiting information.

8) *3001#12345#* . The so-called "James Bond" menu: here is information about the SIM card, and the signal strength of the cellular network, even there was a place for indicators of cellular signal reception. All data, by the way, is updated promptly.

Russia has created a system for intercepting mobile conversations in offices

InfoWatch has developed a system that will allow employers to intercept employees' cell phone conversations in the office. With its help, it is proposed to deal with the leakage of confidential information

Natalya Kaspersky's InfoWatch company has developed a solution that will allow employers to intercept and analyze the content of employee conversations on their mobile phones. The Kommersant newspaper writes about this, citing several sources in Russian IT companies and an employee of a federal mobile operator.

Alexey Raevsky, CEO of Zecurion, who also heard about the development of this system, explained to the publication that this is a kind of

“femtocell (equipment for amplifying a cellular signal), which should be installed at the customer’s site and connected to the mobile operator’s network, but the voice traffic passing through it will be intercepted, translated into text using speech recognition systems and then analyzed by keywords for transmission confidential information."

The development of a prototype of this system was confirmed to the publication by Kaspersky itself. According to her, the manufacturer of the device is a third-party organization, she refused to disclose the partner.

“It is planned that the hardware device installed in the company will be integrated with the core of the cellular operator's network so that it becomes a trusted base station of the cellular operator. Then this base station will intercept voice traffic from mobile phones that are in its coverage area.

She told.

added Kaspersky. She assured that in this case, calls from other SIM cards belonging to employees or customers and partners coming to the company's office "will be rejected by the device and redirected to standard base stations of cellular operators."

During the period of rapid development of information technology, many are wondering how to check the phone for wiretapping. With the active use of computer technology, smartphones and the Internet, various spy applications and programs are being created that can damage office equipment and communication devices. But there are certain signs that you should pay close attention to. There are methods by which it will not be difficult to independently check whether the phone is wiretapped. We will consider in detail in our article how to eliminate "strange" interference and in which case, you will need the help of specialists.

How to identify wiretapping on the phone

Such a phenomenon as wiretapping a mobile phone has its own unique features by which it can be identified. Getting access to another person's phone is quite simple. If there are suspicions that your own device is being tapped, then do not hesitate and urgently send it for diagnostics.

Detectives and telecom specialists know exactly how to check the phone for wiretapping, but first try to do it yourself so as not to spend money on company services. Of course, such diagnostics cannot guarantee an absolute result, but the presence of an extraneous network will certainly be detected.

The main signs of attachment to a listening device

To check the phone for wiretapping, you need to remember the basic signs of interaction with a listening device. Many of them can be on ordinary faulty devices. Make sure this is not your case.

1. The battery runs out quickly. Of course, this is not always an accurate indicator, because it is also inherent in devices on which many applications and games are installed. But it is a completely different matter when the phone can be in the wrong hands, disappear from the field of view of its owner (at night you cannot control) and there are no running programs on it. If in a calm state the mobile device is discharged in just an hour or two, then this is a clear signal that there is wiretapping on it.

2. The device spontaneously turns off, reboots or turns on the backlight. If all of the above problems are not related to violations in the operation of the Android or iOS operating system, then there is already a high probability that interference is being created on the side. Remember that when the phone is still tapped on the screen, nothing new and superfluous is displayed, but during operation, periodic failures may occur.

3. During a conversation, extraneous sounds are constantly heard. The presence of other connected networks prevents the subscriber from getting through to another number - this takes many times longer than without wiretapping. If during a telephone conversation there are small noises and a noticeable echo of both voices, this means that a special listening program is connected. It happens when the subscriber hears only himself, and not his interlocutor. Cellular interferes with radio, TV, stereo. Even in the off state, the phone may flicker when approaching any other devices.

4. After replenishing the account for no reason, an impressive amount of funds was debited. If you find such a problem, you need to call the operator on the hotline to clarify the circumstances or go to your Personal Account on the Internet and look at "Expense of funds". If there is no error, then we can assume that information about calls and messages was sent to the listening program along with the balance.

If you suspect the operation of eavesdropping systems, it is recommended to contact the service to eliminate bugs and other special programs, or change your gadget.

Do not forget that you can install wiretapping on every phone, regardless of its cost or year of manufacture. Of course, the very first push-button models are amenable to this only after installing bugs, and not with the help of the network or the Internet, since they do not have operating systems, but even these cases are a cause for concern.

Is it possible to buy a bug for wiretapping

Previously, only law enforcement agencies had access to spy equipment, and only special services could install it on the required number. Today, with the development of Internet technologies, a bug can be inexpensively bought online. This is a small program for wiretapping a cell phone, able to work for you and for your needs. However, there is one big but in order to install the application - access to someone else's device is required. Advantage - works on all brands and even very outdated ones. This will inform you about calls and correspondence in SMS messages.

I must say that the price of a quality product is relatively high - several tens of thousands of rubles, for this reason, a bug for wiretapping is not used so often. In addition, there are more advanced remote methods, which involve remote connection to a cellular network operator and the introduction of special applications at the software level. Our service sells similar equipment for domestic use.

Listening at a distance

The most popular method among users. No need to look for the moment when a person leaves the phone unattended, deal with spyware installations, and through services you can manage it anonymously. Absolutely all modern devices fall into the risk group, and given that they are used by all age categories of citizens, any person can be put under control. The smartphone in the active state creates very slight interference that is invisible, the battery does not discharge, everything works as usual, as a result, you can listen to other people's conversations at a distance and read another subscriber without the danger of being detected.

To eliminate the possibility of listening to a mobile device at a distance, a few tips from experts will help:

  • do not give confidential information over the phone
  • do not use your cell phone for business negotiations
  • a conversation that takes place in a moving car is much more difficult to listen to due to noise and frequency changes
  • no need to take risks and trust phone repair to an unfamiliar office with a dubious reputation

How to listen to your wife's phone without installing programs

The same question is asked by women who want to check their husband. Today, all communication is built through mobile communications, which means that this is the main channel of reliable information. If you do not have the opportunity to check the phone of your wife or husband, then choose remote connection methods, alas, they are possible only with the help of specialists. However, they do not require the search and installation of programs, which is fraught for both you and someone else's phone. You can download a program stuffed with viruses and lose your personal data, and for another person, the harm can be even more global - theft of passwords, all documents downloaded on a smartphone. At best, there will be a stupid toy with informing that the subscriber is online or busy without indicating and providing telephone conversations to the spouse. The service of wiretapping the wife's (husband's) phone will help to convict your other half of betrayal during a divorce.

In order to wiretap on someone else's phone, you just need to send us a mobile number, no other information is required. After testing the device, our company on the server will connect the monitored number to a backup channel, from where the information will "leave" to you. The service is paid once and is valid indefinitely. The entire device will be under control, for example, if a smartphone has two SIMs, then information is collected from all numbers connected to this phone.

Knowing how to check the phone for wiretapping, you can not be afraid for the integrity and safety of the device, as well as for yourself. At the first "bells" it is necessary to immediately contact the repair shops, which will carry out diagnostics. If wiretapping is installed remotely, they will not help. You need to look for specialists who, through requests from the provider's server, will be able to remove the channel for duplicating your conversations and SMS messages. Send your orders to us via the feedback form.

What is included in the package of services for monitoring other people's conversations:

  • Copying all data from a monitored device
  • Fixing incoming and outgoing calls
  • Detailed information about subscribers
  • Online recording of all telephone conversations
  • Audio files - conversations in MP3 format with the ability to download to a computer
  • Detailed SMS messages
  • Determining the location of the device on the map
  • Surround Listening
  • Managing applications, files and folders

It's no secret that listening to cellular networks and tracking correspondence in instant messengers is officially carried out at the state level in many countries of the world. Whether this is good or bad is the tenth question, however, state wiretapping of a mobile phone almost never results in the disclosure of confidential information, but attackers can use the data obtained in this way for personal gain: blackmail, theft, and so on. That is why the question of how to check the phone for wiretapping is relevant.

Attackers can use various tricks to implement their ideas: the so-called "bugs", virus software on the phone, "holes" in the security of mobile operators, social networks, instant messengers, and so on. It is because of the large number of ways that it is so difficult to know for sure whether the phone is being wiretapped.

How to find out if a wiretap is in progress

Depending on the method of wiretapping, discovering what is responsible for the "leakage" of data can be either very simple or almost impossible. That is why you will have to act by enumeration, using various methods and focusing on all the signs at once.

Indirect signs of wiretapping a mobile phone

In this paragraph, we will talk about how to find out if your phone has become a target for wiretapping.


Search and neutralization of the source of wiretapping

To begin with, it is worth highlighting the most likely method of wiretapping - these are malicious applications in the device's memory. The fact is that it is much easier for attackers to embed a Trojan program into a pirated video game for a smartphone or other application than to bother with hacking networks directly. Therefore, you should find out if there are suspicious applications in memory.

  1. Download and install a program for monitoring system processes. We will use OS Monitor.
  2. Open the list of connections made by device processes.
  3. Note anything that is suspicious.
  4. Search the internet for names. Surely you will be able to find messages from users who have encountered such a problem.

Also, it will not be superfluous to get an antivirus, of which there are many on Google Play.

If you were unable to detect malware in the device's memory, then proceed to the next steps.

  • Save important information from your phone to a separate medium and reset the device to factory settings. Next, you can start the smartphone by first inserting a SIM card with a zero balance there. Without turning on the Internet, try using a process monitoring application to track the activity of programs that are installed on your smartphone. The target can impersonate suspicious activity or even an error message if you're lucky. The next step is to delete the files associated with the target process. If that doesn't work, try searching the Internet for information specifically about your virus.
  • If we are not talking about a virus, but about a network hack (which is unlikely, but still), then use the Eagle Security application or its equivalent. The principle of operation is as follows: the program warns the user if he has connected to a fake base station of a mobile operator. In addition, you can view a list of applications that have access to the microphone. You may find several wiretapping culprits at once.

Another option is bugs for wiretapping a mobile phone. Open the back cover of the smartphone and look for an element there that is not part of the device. It may not even be connected, but simply glued. For reliability, compare your phone with a photo from the Internet - there is an extra detail right away.

Prevention

In this paragraph, we will talk about how to protect a mobile phone from wiretapping using simple rules.

  • Do not download applications from third-party sources, and also be careful with applications from little-known developers from Google Play, since the probability of getting a virus from there is also not zero.
  • Do not give your phone to strangers.
  • Call over the Internet more often than through a mobile connection, since almost every messenger has a decent security system, and therefore, even having access to your traffic, attackers are unlikely to be able to eavesdrop on the conversation.
  • Avoid using your neighbor's or other unverified Wi-Fi, as attackers can use modified access points to intercept your traffic.
  • Check your smartphone regularly for viruses. For example, you can turn on checking at night, and charge your smartphone up to 100% in the morning.
  • Install an app to monitor mobile network activity. For example, GSM Spy Finder detects SMS sent without the user's knowledge, and also gives some data about the degree of network security.

Conclusion

In our time, it is very difficult to maintain the confidentiality of correspondence and conversations, since threats to the integrity of personal data come from the state, and from intruders, and even from private companies - Google, FaceBook and others. Even operating systems can use the microphone of a smartphone or PC to create targeted (targeted) advertising. The best way to keep a secret would be a personal conversation, but in the case of mobile communications and the Internet, you can only be guaranteed to protect yourself from intruders, observing quite simple security rules.

We listen to a “non-phone” conversation using the phone

If necessary, to listen to a conversation on the phone, it is not at all necessary to put a "bug" in a person's pocket or connect an eavesdropping device. All it takes is the victim's mobile phone.

At the right time, your phone will independently and discreetly dial a certain number, and an interested intruder will be able to listen to your conversation until he hangs up.

And if the mobile phone is next to you, then you can be sure that the conversation will not only be heard, but also recorded. And the distance from you to the place of wiretapping does not matter.

By the way, in the phone, in outgoing calls, there will be no traces of a "left" call, and you will not be able to find out that you were eavesdropped. Is it hard to believe? Alas, but it is. Although not all cell phones can be used by scammers as wiretapping.

There is a segment of consumers who prefer business-class smartphones. This type of device has a wide range of features and attractive design, but at the same time, such a smartphone is also characterized by many vulnerabilities. Using these vulnerabilities, an interested person can make a wiretap controlled by him out of your smartphone, and you will not even know about it.

And even if the intruder is on the other side of the globe, he will be quite capable of initiating a call to listen to your cell phone. And stealing the “victim's” phone in order to install a “bug” is not at all necessary - some brands of phones allow you to call them remotely without pressing any buttons on the device and even (!) without knowing the number.

Methods of work of malefactors

This vulnerability affects some brands of phones with Bluetooth transmitters that allow you to control your phone using a headset. It was the “blunders” in the authorization algorithm of such headsets that made the possibility of remote wiretapping real. The main disadvantage of the headset is that it does not require mandatory authorization.

And all because manufacturers are trying to reduce the cost of the headset by avoiding the hardware implementation of the authentication algorithm. Mobile phone developers, being aware of the absence of such algorithms, have eliminated the algorithm for checking the equipment connected to the phone, while, as an additional advantage, compatibility of the phone with many headsets has been achieved.

But not all phone models can be tapped in this way. And the fact that there is no headset authorization algorithm cannot be considered a curiosity, because the headset connected to the phone is used only for talking without using the microphone and speaker of the phone. By itself, the headset is “not capable” of either making a call or downloading any data from the phone. In other words, unauthorized connection of the "left" headset to the phone does not make it possible to organize listening.

As a rule, the mobile phone itself initiates the search for the headset, because the headset lacks the functionality that allows you to search for devices (in order to reduce the cost). That is, the headset cannot find the phone and, moreover, cannot determine the Bluetooth channel through which it is necessary to contact the phone.

For each functionality of the Bluetooth transmitter, a corresponding port (channel) of the device is allocated. The standard transmitter has many ports. This allows the transmitter to handle multiple tasks at the same time or, in more technical terms, to support different profiles.

Profile related functions:

  • information interaction with the point of exit to the global network;
  • receiving/transmitting electronic business cards;
  • emulation of a serial port for the purpose of data exchange with a PC, etc.

One of these features is interaction with a Bluetooth headset. The mobile phone, after detecting the Bluetooth headset, provides it with the port number through which the headset is connected. But for “vulnerable” mobile phones, the wireless headset profile number is publicly available. It turns out that we know the channel number, authorization is not required - what prevents us from implementing listening to someone else's conversation ?? The situation is further complicated by the fact that the headset has quite significant rights.

How can you listen to conversations on mobile phones, is it possible to protect yourself from such attacks, and how can a subscriber determine that his phone is being tapped? In the light of recent spy scandals these issues are back on the agenda. AIN.UA asked Ukrainian mobile operators to tell them what to do in such cases.

Surprisingly, many market participants were not able to answer such questions - we received a full answer only from MTS Ukraine. Life:) did not respond to the request at all, and Kyivstar stated that the operator is not an expert in such matters, therefore they advised them to contact civil service representatives for comments. In addition to MTS answers, we used information about wiretapping from open sources.

How carriers protect their networks

GSM technology was initially developed and implemented taking into account the requirements of government agencies in terms of security level. To maintain this security, most governments in the world prohibit the use and sale of powerful scramblers, scramblers, cryptographic equipment, as well as highly secure public communications technologies. The telecom operators themselves protect their radio channels by encryption, using rather complex algorithms for this. The choice of cryptoalgorithm is carried out at the stage of establishing a connection between the subscriber and the base station. As for the likelihood of a subscriber's information leaking from the operators' equipment, MTS claims that it is reduced to zero due to the complexity and controllability of access to facilities and equipment.

How can you "listen" to phones

There are two methods of listening to subscribers - active and passive. Passive listening of the subscriber will require the use of expensive equipment and specially trained personnel. Now on the "gray" market you can buy complexes with which you can listen to subscribers within a radius of 500 meters, their cost starts from several hundred thousand euros. They look like the picture on the right. You can easily find it on the internet description such systems and how they work.

Manufacturers of such equipment claim that the system allows real-time monitoring of GSM conversations based on access to the object's SIM card or the mobile operator's database. If there is no such access, then conversations can be listened to with a delay, depending on the level of encryption used by the operator. The system can also be part of a mobile complex for tracking and listening to moving objects.

The second method of listening is active intervention on the air on control and authentication protocols using special mobile complexes. Such equipment, despite its apparent simplicity (in fact, it is a couple of modified phones and a computer), can cost from several tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Working with such complexes requires highly qualified service personnel in the field of communications.

The principle of operation of such an attack is as follows: the mobile complex, due to its closer location to the subscriber (up to 500 m), “intercepts” signals to establish a connection and transmit data, replacing the nearest base station. In fact, the complex becomes an "intermediary" between the subscriber and the base station with all the ensuing security problems.

“Catching” the subscriber in this way, this mobile complex can perform any function to manage the subscriber’s connection, including linking it to any number the attackers need, setting a “weak” encryption algorithm or canceling encryption altogether for this communication session, and much more.

As an example of such listening, we can cite the events of the beginning of this year in the center of Kiev. During the mass protests against the Yanukovych regime, the crowd seized the car with the SBU officers, from which the frequencies of the walkie-talkies and phones of the protesters were “wired”. What such equipment looks like is clearly visible in the picture.

There is a third possibility for listening to conversations and intercepting the traffic of a mobile subscriber. To do this, you need to install virus software on the victim’s smartphone. When installing malicious software, attackers can "on their own" choose or cancel the encryption algorithm altogether, transfer (or destroy) the subscriber's confidential information without authorization, and much more.

How to determine that the phone is tapped

As MTS Ukraine told AIN.UA, it is impossible to directly determine whether a phone is being tapped at the moment, but it is possible to obtain indirect confirmation of a certain probability of this. Many models of old push-button phones even displayed a special icon (closed or open padlock) that showed whether the conversation was encrypted at the moment or not.

Modern phones do not have this feature. However, there are special applications for smartphones that can inform the user about the configuration of the settings of the current communication session, including whether his speech is transmitted openly or using an encryption algorithm. Here are some of them:

A powerful program to protect phones from listening. It allows you to prevent connection to a false base station by checking the signatures and identifiers of the base stations. In addition, it monitors the location of stations, and if a base station moves around the city, or periodically disappears from its place, it is marked as suspicious and the program notifies the user about it. Using the program, you can also get a complete list of applications that have access to the phone's microphone and video camera, as well as block unwanted software from accessing the camera.

The program helps to monitor any suspicious activity of the cellular network, including SMS sent without the user's knowledge . The program also evaluates the security of the network in real time, shows which algorithms are used to encrypt the conversation, and much more.