ProtectYourWPMar 6, 2025
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Cell-site simulators (CSS, also known as Stingrays or IMSI catchers) are devices that masquerade as legitimate cell-phone towers, tricking phones within a certain radius into connecting to the device rather than a tower. Our new tool, Rayhunter, can help you find them. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/meet-rayhunter-new-open-source-tool-eff-detect-cellular-spying
Meet Rayhunter: A New Open Source Tool from EFF to Detect Cellular Spying

Rayhunter is a new open source tool we’ve created that runs off an affordable mobile hotspot that we hope empowers everyone, regardless of technical skill, to help search out cell-site simulators (CSS) around the world.

Electronic Frontier Foundation
Mar 5, 2025 at 8:21pmWeb
Show thread⊥ᵒᵚ Cᵸᵎᶺᵋᶫ∸ᵒᵘ ☑️Mar 5, 2025
@eff foot notes 2 and 3 seem identical
Show threadLe RadiophareMar 5, 2025
@eff The needed Orbic-Device is US-only or am I missing something?
Show threadBillMar 5, 2025
@eff I'm gonna make one this weekend!
Show threadjosh g.Mar 5, 2025
@eff will an American-bought device function usefully outside of the US? or does it require Verizon access to work?
Show threadraik2Mar 5, 2025
@eff
It would be nice if the hardware was available outside of the US without having to order it from the US. This is not a good choice, unless you live in the US
Show threadDaniel LakelandMar 5, 2025
@eff
My sister is absolutely convinced that Goodwill uses these to prevent your cell phone from working within the store. I am pretty convinced a used car dealer I visited is using one as well. I've got my order in for several of these devices and will be using your firmware to investigate.
Show threadEric deRuiterMar 6, 2025
@dlakelan @eff There is no way anyone is using a stingray simply to to block cell signal in a retail environment. It is way too expensive for that. There are lots of ways of doing it. https://pointerclicker.com/how-to-block-cell-signal/
How to Block Cell Signals Legally in Your House

What To Know Cell signals are often blocked for safety, preventing espionage, and disrupting terrorist activities. Materials like signal jammers, Faraday cages, and specific construction materials can weaken or block cell signals. While signal jammers

PointerClicker.com
Show threadDaniel LakelandMar 6, 2025
@ridogi
Doesn't have to be a functional stingray but I can tell you the symptom is you get a FABULOUS 5 bar signal and ZERO bandwidth.
@eff
Show threadDaniel LakelandMar 6, 2025
@ridogi
And if you walk outside the establishment only a bit you get a much lower signal but normal bandwidth.
@eff
Show threadIvo StružinskýMar 5, 2025
@eff Don’t want to rain on this parade but getting data from outside of US will probably be hampered by the fact that the device does not seem to be readily available outside of US. That said In have a suspicion the hw inside is hardly unique, any chance of getting a release for more ubiquitous models as well?
Show threadPaul HubbardMar 6, 2025
@eff Oredered one. Great idea and project.
Show threadNicco KunzmannMar 6, 2025

@eff Is there any way normal people with just a phone can help?

Are projects like @beacondb able to make assessments? They should e.g. know how far a tower reaches.
Can you combine such data sources and in which way?

Show threadDavvaMar 6, 2025

@eff

@openrightsgroup
Might be up for adapting this for the UK?

Show threadthe esoteric programmerMar 6, 2025
@eff so that actually exists? I thought it was @pluralistic's invention, nope, the world really is as bad
Show threadSarcastiCanadianMar 6, 2025
@esoteric_programmer @eff @pluralistic Much of @pluralistic 's most dystopian shit is 100% real. The rest is technically feasible.
Show threadthe esoteric programmerMar 6, 2025
@Plumbert @eff @pluralistic so, the 3d printed federated disney ride from makers can also be real? if those things presented in there could exist, then we could do so much, especially if we could, somehow, 3d print circuitry, we could 3d print computers even, or other 3d printers, the possibilities are endless. Imagine if even half the tech from walkaway could exist, obviously excluding the whole people's brains being transfered to computers part, we would have much more of a chance to make a better world
Show threadFunkyMonkMar 7, 2025
@esoteric_programmer @eff @pluralistic
A funny story about this (or somthing similar), in Oslo a few years back someone used similar tech to try to swindle people on the street. So they picked the most populated street in the countrey, karl johans street. The thing is that it was near parlament, stortinget. So when they were trying to scam people, they suddenly got arrested for spying on parlament. (The charges was later changed to trying to scam people.)
Show thread🔶Mark Nicoll 3.5%🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧🇪🇺🇺🇳Mar 7, 2025
@esoteric_programmer @eff @pluralistic
these things are useually ilegal because you need a license to operate radio technology in almost all juristrictions. However that works more as a barrier for entry to competing companies, than it does as a deterant to criminals.
Show threadCryogenicNighthawkMar 7, 2025
@eff
I have one,now I just have to build a CSS so I can test it out 😂