Is it possible to snooping through your phone off - and how to resist it?

We are not going to torture or to sentence him to death; He will appear before a civil court and even get a lawyer. This is the general meaning of the United States Attorney General Eric Holder writing about Edward Snowden. It is not clear who has advised American politician to write a message (you might think we're sitting in an embrace with the bears, we believe that in the cradle of liberty infringe upon the civil rights of prisoners of conscience!), But in any case play continues. Behind the scenes, the United States threatened sanctions any state which dares to shelter Snowden, Edward himself still does not have the right to breathe the air of Moscow. And the scene in recent days has become a central issue of debate on whether - and how, if so, - the NSA to monitor the owners of cell phones are turned off.
For the paranoid-conspiracy is no longer a question, they say, even off the mobile phone can be activated remotely by special services to be used as a listening device, the current position, etc. But so far only a suspicion fed by rumors... Until July 20 authoritative Washington Post did not confirm directly, through the NSA for nearly a decade, the US Army, the FBI and the CIA have the ability to track terrorist suspects via cell phones is the disconnected. Cell phone is not always the only source of information: Geolocation Cell Division in the NSA collects real-time data from multiple "sensors" and so leads the individual on the planet. However, it is more often a cell is a key element in determining the success of surveillance for the purpose of subsequent physical elimination of dangerous persons.
Frankly, in ordinary life, the user is more useful to think not about whether or not his smartphone NSA, and what metadata funneling through made on the same smartphone photos. With iOS, which Android, for example, the default tag photos GPS-coordinates.
Frankly, in ordinary life, the user is more useful to think not about whether or not his smartphone NSA, and what metadata funneling through made on the same smartphone photos. With iOS, which Android, for example, the default tag photos GPS-coordinates.
Naturally, after such confessions paranoia in the press I broke out with renewed vigor, but more importantly, to the question connected professionals have issued a list of interesting and generally calming ideas. In short - the average owner of a mobile phone to worry about, but if you still worry, there's an easy way to avoid shadowing. But let's order.
For techies "off" means "de-energized". To bring the mobile phone in such a state, you must remove the battery from it - and use it as a listening device in such a case, it becomes impossible among the sane public doubts on this score no one else. Everything that runs the risk of a person with a truly disconnected phone - is becoming a victim of a complex technique impractical
radio direction finding. Remember how the anti thieving chips, strengthens on goods in retail trade: own batteries have no such chips, they "signal" due to the energy of induced stationary scanner in miniature antenna. Very similarly, and the antenna of the mobile phone can be made to "respond" by irradiating its radio signal with a frequency in the tens of megahertz. Of course,
the electronics of this phone will not turn on, so learn, for example, IMEI, or use the microphone in a similar way possible. But, knowing the characteristics of a particular instance or a phone model, you can determine that it is within a few meters (a direction finder can be installed, for example, by car, to travel around the area). At least in the laboratory, this method works, and therefore can not be ruled out that it is used and the security services.

The task is easier if you look at the problem through the eyes of the layman, that is, assume that the "off" is understood as "a waiting mode." In this case, the power supply to the phone
features, the operating system and applications work - and therefore appears several easiest ways to access them. The easiest way to locate a phone on the signals of nearby cell sites. If you modify the mobile - say, implanted in him an additional chip or application (in the latter case, you can do without direct access to the machine) - you can use it to eavesdrop, covert photographing and other similar actions.
A common problem of these methods - the high cost. They can be used (and there are reports suggest that was used) to monitor the individuals, but it seems a massive operation unprofitable. However, the search for an explanation reveals another - and most interesting - possibility. It is associated with a component known as the baseband processor (BBP).
In the Russian language, this term is converted to established, but does not explain «baseband-processor", and the Russian version of a standardized, apparently not at all. Therefore, if I may, I would venture to call it radioprotsessorom that at least facilitate understanding. The idea in general terms is as follows: in parallel with the CPU and GPU, RAM and other hardware obveski available and used by the host operating system (Android, iOS, etc.), In digital mobile devices there is always a tiny, invisible to the user, separate microcomputer (more correctly pikokompyuterom call it), is responsible for the radio. The basis of it - the same radioprotsessor, which has its own memory, and even its own operating system - usually real time. For example, on most Android- and iOS-devices is the operating system and the Nucleus RTOS ThreadX.
Baseband-OSes takes a few kilobytes ( "pikoyadro") and for its size works wonders: there and cryptography, and file systems, and even the graphics window, if necessary. But in most cases we will, of course, baseband-components do not see: they work invisibly, independently, taking on the task of directly communicating with the CS.

Radioprotsessor and obveski - the theme is as interesting as it is little studied: even do a memory dump here - not a trivial task, to say nothing about code analysis and modification. The same RTOS Nucleus operates nearly three billion devices (simple cell phones, smartphones, USB-key fob, and so on. P.), But how many times have you heard about it? Only a rare set of
circumstances sometimes gives the user a hint that the smartphone will probably arranged much more complicated than it sounds: for example, if during a call primary OS "hangs" (on my overloaded androidovskom LG Optimus One, alas, this happens quite often), Up why is not interrupted. In addition, it is software for radioprotsessora provision should be changed to "unlock" mobile phone, to break a binding to a particular operator.

With the outside world baseband-processor communicates through a few low-level interfaces such as I2S audio, network SPI and the ancient language of AT-commands (probably memorable for those of you who have had to deal with a modem). However, I repeat: The information on this subject is extremely scarce - and it would be great if the experts among the readers to clarify and add detail. In the context of two important facts today's topic. Firstly, your baseband-computer lives its own life, which the phone owner may not be aware (for example, he is able to periodically wake up and communicate with the mobile station, without revealing its activity). Secondly, radioproshivku can be changed - at least with the phone, but can be remotely (running on a particular device, no one except the manufacturer usually does not know all the details of your baseband, software).
Incidentally, the first movie about Snowden has withdrawn - amateur, with a budget of $ 650. Actors playing free money required to pay for only the very room in the hotel where Edward stayed on his time in Hong Kong. The main character (in life - a simple teacher) really looks like a prototype, though, of course,

Incidentally, the first movie about Snowden has withdrawn - amateur, with a budget of $ 650 (link after the article). Actors playing free money required to pay for only the very room in the
hotel where Edward stayed on his time in Hong Kong. The main character (in life - a simple teacher) really looks like a prototype, though, of course, would have played better Bezrukov.

Thus, no doubt remains: in the face of BBP security services are perhaps the most powerful spy tool; evaluate its potential public yet to be. Right now, the good news is that this spy becomes helpless if banal remove the battery from the phone. Worried about privacy? Remove the battery and cease to be nervous. It will not save you from costly attacks, but they are unlikely to be applied against you: NSA passed these findings to other security services, so that they have imposed drones ...
Coming back to Edward Snowden, must regretfully admit that the worst comes to pass his prediction. When the snow had just started to talk, Edward said in an interview about his fears: nothing will change; the audience will listen, poohali, but do not dare to put pressure on the government. And so it happened, unfortunately. No large-scale surveillance program of the exploited NSA has not been abolished, and for the very birthplace of Edward seem willing comfortable bunks and a pair or two life sentences.