SS7 has long been known to be vulnerable, despite the most advanced encryption used by cellular networks. The researchers from Positive Technologies, who recently showed how they could hijack WhatsApp and Telegram accounts, now gave the demonstration of the Facebook hack using similar tricks, Forbes reported. So, malicious hackers could trick SS7 into diverting text messages as well as calls to their own devices.Īll they need is the target's phone number and some details of the target's device to initiate the silent snooping. However, an issue with the SS7 network is that it trusts text messages sent over it regardless of their origin. SS7 or Signalling System Number 7 is a cell phone signaling protocol that is being used by more than 800 telecommunication operators worldwide to exchange information with one another, cross-carrier billing, enabling roaming, and other features.
