Assessing the threat of Stingrays in 4G cellular networks

Sammanfattning: This bachelor thesis explores the threat of Stingrays, fake cell towers, to the mobile network. The increasing availability of open-source technology and hardware has made it easier to build Stingrays. Stingrays can threaten the privacy and security of individuals and their devices, making it critical to understand the effectiveness and practicalities of the attack. This study evaluates the feasibility and the practical danger of Stingrays using open-source software and available hardware, filling a gap in research on the subject. First, a literature study was made to understand the mobile network, security vulnerabilities and existing countermeasures to achieve this. Thereon, a Stingray was constructed, and attacks were simulated with different settings and scenarios to determine their practical and effective use. The results show the possibility of Stingray attacks with the mentioned equipment, but underline the need for a more advanced system for real-world attacks.