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..The Liberator- 914/353-4256..
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<*> Joe Cosmo Presents..... <*>
<*> <*>
<*> Methods of Phreaking and Telco Security Measures <*>
<*> <*>
<*> June 16, 1988 1:30 am <*>
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(formatted to 80 Columns)
Dedication: This phile is dedicated to all those great phreakers who
taught me all of this, and to all of the newcomers being born to the phreak
world. For the legends, it is here as their legacy, and for the newcomers, I
hope they will use it as their guide in times of trouble, and may there
always be phreakers in the world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. Introduction: What Telephone Fraud Is
II. Who Does It and Why
III. The Systems That Are Fooled
IV. Electronic Toll Fraud
How Boxes Work
The Blue Box
Operation of a Blue Box
Pink Noise
The Black Box
The Red Box
The Cheese Box
V. Divertors
VI. Private Branch Exchanges
VII. Specialized Common Carriers
SCC Extenders List
VIII. PC Pursuit
How to Originate a PC Pursuit Call
IX. Cellular Phone Fraud
ESN Tampering
Obtaining ESN's
X. CN/A's
CN/A List
XI. Loops
XII. Alliance Teleconferencing
Billing an Alliance Conference
Starting a Conference
XIII. Telephone System Security Measure
ESS Detection Devices
Automatic Number Identification and Centralized
Automatic Message Accounting Tapes
Dialed Number Recorders
Trap Codes
Stopping an FBI Trace
Common Channel Inter-office Signaling
XIV. Laws Governing the Rights of Phreakers
XV. Conclusion
I. Introduction: What Telephone Fraud Is
Telephone fraud is illegally using the communication facilities of
telephone companies. This is commonly known as "phreaking." The writer's
purpose is to explore the methods of phreaking, and the various security
measures of telephone companies.
II. Who Does It and Why
The majority of people who phreak are owners of modems (MOdulators
DEModulators, devices which allow computers to communicate over telephone
lines) and are usually between the ages of twelve and seventeen. When the
person reaches age eighteen, he or she usually stops, since after that age,
if the person in caught, the penalty can become very serious, such as time in
prison, and fines starting at $8000.
Scattered throughout the country are many different computer bulletin
board systems, or BBS's. These are computer systems established by private
users or large organizations for the exchange of public and private messages
and software. Most are not a local call, though. Since the normal user calls
about ten different BBS's, with even the lowest long-distance rates, the
phone bill each month can range from $100 to $1000. The solution is to
phreak. When these people learn how to phreak, they also realize that besides
making free long-distance calls from their home, they can also make free
calls from payphones. They also find that there are many other facilities
that they can used without paying.
III. The Systems That Are Fooled
Their are three types of telephone operating systems in the U.S., Step
by Step (SxS), Crossbar (XB), and Electronic Switching System (ESS). They are
described in detail in the following paragraphs.
Step by Step
Step by Step (SxS) was the first switching system used in America,
adopted in 1918 and until 1978 Bell had over 53% of all exchanges using Step
by Step. A long, and confusing train of switches is used for SxS switching.
Disadvantages
A. The switch train may become jammed, blocking calls.
B. No DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency), to be discussed later.
C. Much maintenance and much electricity.
D. No "Touch-Tone" dialing.
Identification
A. No pulsing digits after dialing or "Touch Tone".
B. Much static in the connections.
C. No Speed calling, Call forwarding, and other services.
D. Pay-phone wants money first before dial-tone.
Crossbar
Crossbar has been Bell's primary switcher after 1960. Three types of
Crossbar switchings exist, Number 1 Crossbar (1XB), Number 4 Crossbar (4XB),
and Number 5 Crossbar (5XB). A switching matrix is used for all of the phones
in an area. When someone calls, the route is determined and is connected with
the other phone. The matrix is positioned in horizontal and vertical paths,
organizing the train of switches more effectively, and therefore, stopping
the equipment from jamming. There are no definite distinguishing features of
Crossbar switchings from Step by Step.
Electronic Switching System
ESS is the most advanced system employed, and has gone through many
kinds of revisions. The latest system to date is ESS 11a, which is used in
Washington D.C. for security reasons. ESS is the country's most advanced
switching system, and has the highest security system of all. With its many
special features, it is truly the phreaker's nightmare.
Identification
A. Dialing 911 for emergencies.
B. Dial-tone first for pay-phones.
C. Calling services, including Call forwarding, Speed dialing, and Call
waiting.
D. Automatic Number Identification for long-distance calls (ANI), to be
discussed later.
E. "Touch Tone"
IV. Electronic Toll Fraud
The ETF's are electrical devices used to get free long-distance calls.
The devices are more commonly known as colored boxes, and using them is known
as "boxing." Boxing is one of the oldest way to phreak, and therefore, it is
also the most dangerous, since the telephone companies are very much aware of
their existence. Colored boxes are not used only for phreaking. There are
many types which have other uses (such as the Tron Box, which lowers your
electric bill), so only those used in telephone fraud will be discussed.
How Boxes Work
In the beginning, all long distance calls were connected manually by
operators who passed on the called number verbally to other operators in
series. This is because pulse (rotary) digits are created by causing breaks
in the DC current. Since long distance calls call for routing through
various switching equipment and AC voice amplifiers, pulse dialing cannot be
used to send the destination number to the end local office (CO).
Eventually, the demand for faster and more efficient long distance
service caused Bell to make a multi-billion dollar decision. They had to
create a signaling system that could be used on the LD Network. They had two
options:
[1] To send all the signaling and supervisory information (eg., ON and OFF
HOOK) over separate data links. This type of signaling is referred to as
out-of-band signaling.
[2] To send all the signaling information along with the conversation using
tones to represent digits. This type of signaling is called in-band
signaling.
The second seemed to be the most economical choice, and so, it was
incorporated in ESS.
Then, in the 1960's, when the first ESS systems were employed, a toy
whistle was put in each box of Captain Crunch Cereal as a premium. A young
radio technician in the United States Air Force became fascinated with the
whistle when he discovered that by blowing it into the telephone after
dialing any long distance number, the trunk line would remain open without
toll charges accounting. From then on, any number could be dialed for free.
The truth was that the whistle produced a perfect-pitch 2600 Hz tone, the one
used to signify a disconnect in ESS switching equipment. To overcome the
initial charge for the for the long distance call, he later used toll-free
800 numbers.
Being a skilled technician, Captain Crunch (he began to use the name as
an alias) soon went beyond the simple whistle and experimented with other
frequencies, creating many of the boxes discussed in the following
paragraphs.
The Blue Box
The "Blue Box" was so named because of the color of the first one
discovered by the authorities. The design and hardware used in the Blue Box
is very sophisticated, and its size varies from a large piece of apparatus to
a miniaturized unit that is approximately the size of a "king size" package
of cigarettes.
The Blue Box contains 12 or 13 buttons or switches that emit the
multi-frequency tones used in the normal operation of the telephone toll
(long distance) switching network. In effect, the the Blue Box can let a
person become the operator of a phone line. The Blue Box enables its user to
originate fraudulent toll calls by circumventing (fooling) toll billing
equipment. The Blue Box may be directly connected to a phone line, or it may
be acoustically coupled to a telephone handset by placing the Blue Box's
speaker next to the transmitter, or the telephone handset.
Operation of a Blue Box
To understand the steps of a fraudulent Blue Box call, it is necessary
to understand the basic operation of the Direct Distance Dialing (DDD)
telephone network. When a DDD call is originated, the calling number is
identified as an integral part of establishing the connection. This may be
done either automatically by ANI in ESS, or in some cases, by an operator
asking the calling party for his telephone number. This information is
entered on a tape in the Centralized Automatic Message Accounting (CAMA)
office. This tape also contains the number assigned to the trunk line over
which the call is to be made. The information relating to the call contained
on the tape includes the called number's identification, time of origination
of the call, and if the called number answered the call. The time of
disconnect is also recorded. The various data entries with of the call are
correlated to provide billing information for use by the caller's telephone
company's accounting department.
The typical Blue Box user usually dials a number that will route the
call into the telephone network without charge. For example, the user will
very often call a well-known INWATS (toll-free) number. The Blue Box user,
after gaining this access to the network when somebody picks up and in
effect, "seizing" control of the line, operates a key on the Blue Box which
emits a 2600 Hertz (cycles per second, abbreviated as Hz) tone. This tone
causes the switching equipment to release the connection to the INWATS
customer's line. The 2600 Hz tone is the signal to the switching system that
the calling party has hung up. In fact though, the local trunk on the calling
party's end is still connected to the toll network. The Blue Box user now
operates the "KP" (Key Pulse) key on the Blue Box to notify the toll
switching equipment that switching signals are about to be emitted. The user
then pushes the "number" buttons on the Blue Box corresponding to the
telephone number being called. After doing so, he/she operates the "ST"
(Start) key to tell the switching equipment that signaling is complete. If
the call is completed, only the portion of the original call prior to the
operation of the 2600 Hz tone is recorded on the CAMA tape. The tones emitted
by the Blue Box are not recorded on the CAMA tape. Therefore, because the
original call to the INWATS number is toll-free, no billing is rendered in
connection with the call.
The above are the steps in a normal operation of a Blue Box, but they
may vary in any one of the following ways:
A. The Blue Box may include a rotary dial to apply the 2600Hz tone and the
switching signals. This type of Blue Box is called a "dial pulser" or "rotary
SF" Blue box.
B. A magnetic tape recording may be used to record the Blue Box tones. Such a
tape recording could be used in lieu of a Blue Box to fraudulently place
calls to the phone numbers recorded on the magnetic tape.
All Blue Boxes, except "dial pulse" or "Rotary SF" Blue Boxes,
must have the following four common operating capabilities:
A. It be able to emit the 2600 Hz tone. This tone is used by the toll network
to indicate, either by its presence or its absence, an "on hook" (idle) or
"off hook" (busy) condition of a trunk line.
B. The Blue Box must have a "KP" tones that unlocks or readies
the multi-frequency receiver at the called end to receive the
tones corresponding to the called phone number.
C. The Blue Box must be able to emit DTMF, tones used to transmit phone
numbers over the toll network. Each digit of a phone number is represented by
a combination of two tones. For example, the 2 is 700 Hz and 900 Hz.
D. The Blue Box must have an "ST" key which consists of a combination of two
tones that tell the equipment at the called end that all digits have been
sent and that the equipment should start connecting the call to the called
number.
The following is a chart of the multi-frequency (MF) tones produced by
the normal Blue Box.
700 : 1 : 2 : 4 : 7 : 11 : 2600 X
900 : + : 3 : 5 : 8 : 12 :
1100 : + : + : 6 : 9 : KP :
1300 : + : + : + : 10 : KP2 :
1500 : + : + : + : + : ST :
: 700 : 900 :1100 :1300 :1500 :
The "Dial Pulser" or "Rotary SF" Blue Box requires only a dial
with a signalling capability to produce a 2600 Hz tone.
Pink Noise
Since telephone companies have such advanced equipment to detect Blue
Boxes, to help avoid detection "pink noise" is sometimes added to the 2600 Hz
tone.
Since 2600 Hz tones can be simulated in speech, the detection equipment
of the switching system must be attentive not to misinterpret speech as a
disconnect signal. Thus, a virtually
pure 2600 Hz tone is required for disconnect. This is also the reason why the
2600 Hz tone must be sent rapidly; sometimes, it will not work when the
person called is speaking. It is feasible, though, to send some "pink noise"
along with the 2600 Hz. Most of this energy should be above 3000 Hz. The
pink noise will not reach the toll network, where we want our pure 2600 Hz to
hit, but it will go through the local CO and thus, the fraud detectors.
The Black Box
The Black Box is the easiest type to build. The box stops a call from
being charged to some one only if it is hooked to the line of the person
being called.
In the normal telephone cable, there are four wires: a red, a green, a
black, and a yellow. The red & green wires are often referred to as tip (T)
and ring (R).
When a telephone is on-hook (hung up) there is approximately 48 volts of
DC current (VDC) flowing through the tip and ring. When the handset of a
phone is lifted, switches close, causing a loop to be connected (which is
known as the "local loop,") between the telephone and the CO. Once this
happens DC current is able to flow through the telephone with less
resistance. This causes a relay to energize and signal to other CO equipment
that service is being requested. Eventually, a dial tone is emitted. This
also causes the 48 VDC to drop down into the vicinity of 13 volts. The
resistance of the loop also drops below the 2500 ohm level. Considering that
this voltage and resistance drop is how the CO detects that a telephone was
taken off hook, how a Black Box works is by allowing the voltage to drop
enough to allow talking, but not enough to signal to the CO equipment to
start billing. To do this, a 10,000 Ohm, .5 Watt resistor is incorporated in
the local loop on the called party's line.
The Red Box
A Red Box is a device that simulates the sound of a coin being accepted
by a payphone. When a coin is put in the slot of a payphone, the first
obstacle is the magnetic trap. This will stop any light-weight magnetic
slugs. If it passes this, the coin is then classed as a nickel, dime, or
quarter. Each coin is then checked for appropriate size and weight. If these
tests are passed, it will then travel through a nickel, dime, or quarter
magnet as proper. These magnets start an eddy current effect which causes
coins of the appropriate characteristics to slow down so they will follow the
correct trajectory.
If all goes well, the coin will follow the correct path, striking the
appropriate totalizer arm, causing a ratchet wheel to rotate once for every
5-cent increment (eg, a quarter will cause it to rotate 5 times). The
totalizer then causes the coin signal oscillator to readout a dual-frequency
signal indicating the value deposited to the Automated Coin Toll Service
computer (ACTS) or the Traffic Service Position System (TSPS) operator. These
are the tones emitted by the Red Box.
For a quarter, five beep tones are outpulsed for 66 milliseconds (ms). A
dime causes two beep tones for 33 ms, while a nickel causes one beep tone at
also 33 ms. A beep consists of two frequencies, 2200 Hz and 1700 Hz. As with
a Blue Box, Red Box tones can be recorded on a magnetic tape.
Since any call from a payphone is originated with a "ground test," in
which the TSPS operator or the ACTS computer checks for the presence of the
first coin inserted into the phone, by verifying use of the magnetic, weight,
and size traps, when using a Red Box, it is necessary to put in at least one
coin.
The Cheese Box
A Cheese Box lets a normal telephone emulate a payphone. By emulating a
payphone, using a blue box now becomes safe, because if the CO equipment
recognizes the call as one from a payphone, it does not record it on a CAMA
tape. Since a normal telephone does not have a slot to enter coins, a Red Box
is needed to generate the sound of a coin dropping.
V. Divertors
A divertor is a special service that allows businesses to "divert" calls
if no one answers after a certain number of rings. For example, a person
calls a company, and nobody answers. After about three rings, a few clicks
are heard, then a few fainter rings are heard. The building receiving the
call has changed from the company to another building, usually somebody's
house. What has happened is that the call has been re-routed from building A
to building B. In effect, the number called is not really changed, but
instead, building A has answered the call, called building B, and connected
the two lines together. If the person in building B disconnects, the caller
is still connected to building A. With the way the divertor equipment works
in the telephone company, the phone line of building A will then emit a dial
tone and the caller has total control of the line, and can originate another
call, charging it to building A.
VI. Private Branch Exchanges
A Private Branch Exchange (PBX) is a system of out-WATS (Wide Area
Telephone Service) lines and in-WATS lines. An out-WATS line allows a
business to make as long-distance calls each month for a flat rate. An
in-WATS line is a toll-free number (800 number) that is also leased to
businesses for flat rates. PBX's save corporations much money when their
salesmen, distributors, and franchisees must make many calls from different
parts of the country. It works much like specialized common carriers (to be
discussed later).
First, the employee calls the company on the in-WATS line. The switching
equipment picks up the phone, and send a tone to the employee indicating for
him to enter the access code of the PBX. If the access code is correct, then
the line is connected to the out-WATS line, and the employee can make a call.
To use PBX's, phreakers must find the access code of the PBX. This can
be done very easily, since the code is usually only a few digits. One way is
to dial different combinations manually on the telephone keypad. The other
way is of the phreaker is the owner of a modem. A simple program can be
easily written to continuously dial digit combinations randomly or
sequentially.
VII. Specialized Common Carriers
Ever since the break up of AT&T's monopoly on long-distance service,
there have been many other corporations that compete with AT&T in the
long-distance market, including Sprint, MCI, All-net, ITT, and Metrophone.
These all boast opportunities for large savings on long-distance calls. These
companies are called specialized common carriers (SCC's).
SCC's cost less because they do not use the AT&T's cable-based systems,
but instead use microwave links. Some have also added fiber-optic lines to
their networks.
Another way they can save consumers money is by using AT&T's lines.
Instead of connecting calls by the shortest route, the carrier will use a
different route, so the call goes through places where the long-distance
traffic is heavy, and the rate is lower. The companies that do this are known
as "resellers."
Most SCC's work nearly the same as PBX's. The 800 number is called, a
tone is heard, the private identification number (PIN) is entered, and then
the call can be made. The length of the PIN number can range from four digit
to fourteen digits.
Besides 800 toll free numbers, in some areas, a 950 can be used. A 950
works exactly the same as an 800 number, the only difference is that the
consumer must enter only seven digits before dialing his PIN number instead
of ten with a toll-free number. 950's are free of charge and can be used both
at home and at pay phones.
The PIN numbers can be found the same way as PBX access codes. Since the
number of digits in a PIN is so great, using a computer is much more common
practice than manual dialing.
The following pages are lists of SCC's and their dialups, formats, and
special points. Note that some have many different dialups.
=============================================================================
[ SCC Extenders List ]
[ 0-9 - Number of digits in code ]
[ [ ] - Dial that exact number ]
[ # - Area code + Prefix + Suffix ]
[ : - Dial tone ]
[ + - ontinue dialing ]
=============================================================================
| Extender | Dialing Format | Company | Comments |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 800-223-0548 | 8+[1]+# | TDX | |
| 800-241-1129 | 8+[1]+# | TDX | |
| 800-248-6248 | 6+[1]+# | SumNet Systems | (800)824-3000 |
| 800-288-8845 | 7:[1]+# | TMC Watts | (800)999-3339 |
| 800-325-0192 | [1]+#+6 | MCI | 950-1986 |
| 800-325-1337 | 7:[1]+# | TMC Watts | |
| 800-325-7222 | 6+[1]+# | Max | (800)982-4422 |
| 800-325-7970 | 6+[1]+# | Max | (800)982-4422 |
| 800-327-4532 | 8+# | All-TelCo | |
| 800-327-9488 | #:13 | ITT | 950-0488 |
| 800-334-0193 | [9]+# | Piedmont | |
| 800-345-0008 | [0]+#:14 | US Sprint FON Cards |950-1033 also 9+#|
| 800-368-4222 | 8+# | Congress Watts Lines | |
| 800-437-7010 | 13 | GCI | |
| 800-448-8989 | 14+[1]+# | Call US | |
| 800-521-8400 | 8:# | TravelNet | 950-1088 (voice)|
| 800-541-2255 | 10 | MicroTel | |
| 800-547-1784 | 13 | AmericaNet | |
| 800-621-5640 | 6+[1]+# | ExpressTel | |
| 800-637-4663 | 5+[1]+# | TeleSave | |
| 800-821-6511 | 5+[1]+# | American Pioneer | (800)852-4154 |
| 800-821-6629 | 6+[1]+# | Max | (800)982-4422 |
| 800-821-7961 | 6+[1]+# | Max | (800)982-4422 |
| 800-826-7397 | 6:[1]+# | Call U.S. | |
| 800-858-4009 | 6+[1]+# | NTS | Voice |
| 800-862-2345 | 7:[1]+# | TMC | |
| 800-877-8000 | [0]+#:14 | US Sprint Calling Card|950-1033 also 9+#|
| 800-882-2255 | 6:[1]+# | AmeriCall | False Carrier |
| 800-950-1022 | [0]+#:14 | MCI Calling Card | |
| 800-992-1444 | 9+# | AllNet | 950-1444 |
=============================================================================
VIII. PC Pursuit
Many modem users know Telenet as a packet-switching network through
which they can connect to different telecommunication services throughout the
country for an hourly rate of $2. With PC Pursuit, Telenet uses the same
method as SCC's, but instead of using microwave links, the call is routed
through computers. Since it is routed through computers, the service can be
used by only owners of modems. Instead of paying the hourly rate, the
consumer needs only to pay a flat monthly rate of $25.
Using PC Pursuit is a little more difficult than using SCC's, because
now instead of combinations of only ten different characters (0-9), the whole
alphabet can be used in the access code. The following is a chart showing the
steps to originate a typical PC Pursuit call.
How to Originate a PC Pursuit Call
First, the users dials the local Telenet Access Center, which can be
found by dialing Telenet customer service at 1-800-336-0437.
Then:
Note: (cr) signifies the carriage return on a computer keyboard.
Network Shows | User Types | Explanation
__________________|____________________________|_____________________________
| (cr) (cr) |
__________________|____________________________|_____________________________
TELENET | | Telenet network called and
XXX XXX | | your network address.
__________________|____________________________|_____________________________
TERMINAL= | "D1" (cr) | Enter "D1" or press (cr)
__________________|____________________________|_____________________________
@ | For 300 bps: | CONNECT command. To access
| "C(sp)DIALXXX/3,XXXX(cr)" | a PC Pursuit city type a PC
| | Pursuit access code and
| For 1200 bps: | your user ID.
| "C(sp)DIALXXX/12,XXXX(cr)" |
__________________|____________________________|_____________________________
PASSWORD= | "XXXXXX" (cr) | Type the password
__________________|____________________________|_____________________________
DIALXXX/X | "ATZ" (cr) | You are now connected to the
CONNECTED | | PCP city. Type ATZ (upper).
__________________|____________________________|____________________________
OK | "ATDTXXXXXXX" (cr) | Dials a number in PCP city
__________________|____________________________|____________________________
CONNECT | | Your are now connected to
| | your destination computer.
__________________|____________________________|____________________________
If the number dialed is busy, the user will see BUSY. To call another
number in the same city, the user types "ATZ." The network will answer OK.
The user then types "ATDTXXXXXXX" (cr) to dial the next number.
To connect to a different PC Pursuit City, when the user sees BUSY, he
types "@" (cr). When a @ appears, "D" (cr) is entered. This disconnects the
user from the previous city. The user then follows the above procedures to
dial another city.
IX. Cellular Phone Fraud
Cellular phones have evolved considerably from previous systems.
Signaling between mobile and base stations uses high-speed digital techniques
and involves many different types of digital messages. The cellular phone
contains its own Mobile Identification Number (MIN), which is programmed by
the seller or service shop and can be changed when, for example, the phone is
sold to a new user. In addition, the U.S. cellular standard incorporates a
second number, the Electronic Serial Number (ESN), which is intended to
uniquely and permanently identify the mobile unit.
According to the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) Interim
Standard IS-3-B, Cellular System Mobile Station Land Station Compatibility
Specification, the serial number is a 32-bit binary number that uniquely
identifies a mobile station to any cellular system. It must be factory-set
and not readily alterable in the field. The circuitry that provides the
serial number must be isolated from fraudulent contact and tampering.
Attempts to change the serial number circuitry should render the mobile
station inoperative.
The ESN was intended to solve two problems the industry observed with
its older systems. First, the number of subscribers that older systems could
support fell far short of the demand in some areas, leading groups of users
to share a single mobile number (fraudulently) by setting several phones to
send the same identification. Carriers lost individual user accountability
and their means of predicting and controlling traffic on their systems.
Second, systems had no way of automatically detecting use of stolen
equipment because thieves could easily change the transmitted identification.
In theory, the required properties of the ESN allow cellular systems to
check to ensure that only the correctly registered unit uses a particular
MIN, and the ESNs of stolen units can be permanently denied service
("hot-listed"). This measure is an improvement over the older systems, but
vulnerabilities remain.
ESN Tampering
Although the concept of the unalterable ESN is laudable in theory,
weaknesses are apparent in practice. Many cellular phones are not
constructed so that attempts to change the serial number circuitry renders
the mobile station inoperative. Contrary to this statement, swapping of one
ESN chip for another in a unit that has been found to functione flawlessly
after the switch was made.
Obtaining ESN's
Since most manufacturers are using industry standard Read-Only Memory
(ROM) chips for their ESNs, the chips are easily bought and programmed or
copied. In programming the ESN with a valid code is another matter.
Remembering that to obtain service from a system, a cellular unit must
transmit a valid MIN (telephone number) and (usually) the corresponding
serial number stored in the cellular switch's database. With the right
equipment, the ESN/MIN pair can be read right off the air because the mobile
transmits it each time it originates a call. Service shops can capture this
information using test gear that automatically receives and decodes the
reverse, or mobile-to-base, channels.
Another way to obtain the numbers is from service shops. Service shops
keep ESN/MIN records on file for units they have sold or serviced, and the
carriers also have these data on all of their subscribers. Unscrupulous
employees could compromise the security of their customers' telephones by
obtaining these records.
In many ways, trade in illegally obtained ESN/MIN pairs could, in the
future, resemble what currently transpires in the long distance telephone
business with AT&T credit card numbers and alternate long-distance carrier
(such as MCI, Sprint and Alltel) account codes. Code numbers are swapped
among friends, published on computer bulletin boards and trafficked by career
criminal enterprises.
X. CN/A's
CN/A's, which stands for Customer Names and Addresses, are bureaus that
exist so that authorized Bell employees can find out the name and address of
any customer in the Bell System. All phone numbers are maintained on file
including unlisted numbers.
To find the owner of any number, the person first must call the local
CN/A during business hours. Then he must pretend to be from a registered
business, and ask for the owner of the number. In some states, though, the
operator will ask for an ID number. In these cases, one must be guessed at.
There is also a type of reverse CN/A bureau, which is usually called a
NON PUB DA or TOLL LIB. With these numbers, somebody can find unpublished
numbers if the caller gives the operator the name and locality. These are
considerably harder to use, since the operator will then request the caller's
name, supervisors name, etc.
The following is a list of current CN/A's.
_____________________________________________________________________________
1988 CN/A List (subject to change)
_____________________________________________________________________________
Area: CN/A Area: CN/A Area: CN/A
201: Classified 202: 304-343-7016 203: 203-789-6815
204: 204-949-0900 206: 206-345-4082 207: 617-787-5300
208: 303-293-8777 209: 415-781-5271 212: 518-471-8111
213: 415-781-5271 214: 214-464-7400 215: 412-633-5600
216: 614-464-0519 217: 217-789-8290 218: 402-221-7199
219: 317-265-4834 301: 304-343-1401 302: 412-633-5600
303: 303-293-8777 304: 304-344-8041 305: 912-752-2000
307: 303-293-8777 308: 402-221-7199 312: 312-796-9600
313: 313-424-0900 314: 816-275-8460 316: 913-276-6708
317: 317-265-4834 318: 504-245-5330 319: 402-221-7199
401: 617-787-5300 402: 402-221-7199 404: 912-752-2000
405: 405-236-6121 406: 303-293-8777 412: 412-633-5600
413: 617-787-5300 414: 608-252-6932 415: 415-781-5271
416: 416-443-0542 417: 816-275-8460 418: 614-464-0123
419: 614-464-0519 501: 405-236-6121 502: 502-583-2861
503: 206-345-4082 504: 504-245-5330 505: 303-293-8777
509: 206-345-4082 512: 512-828-2501 513: 614-464-0519
514: 514-394-7440 515: 402-221-7199 517: 313-424-0900
518: 518-471-8111 519: 416-443-0542 601: 601-961-8139
602: 303-293-8777 603: 617-787-5300 605: 402-221-7199
606: 502-583-2861 607: 518-471-8111 608: 608-252-6932
609: Classified 612: 402-221-7199 613: 416-443-0542
614: 614-464-0519 615: 615-373-5791 616: 313-424-0900
617: 617-787-5300 619: 415-781-5271 701: 402-221-7199
702: 415-543-2861 703: 304-344-7935 704: 912-752-2000
705: 416-443-0542 707: 415-781-5271 712: 402-221-7199
713: 713-961-2397 715: 608-252-6932 716: 518-471-8111
717: 412-633-5600 718: 518-471-8111 801: 303-293-8777
802: 617-787-5300 804: 304-344-7935 805: 415-781-5271
806: 512-828-2501 809: 404-751-8871 812: 317-265-4834
813: 813-228-7871 814: 412-633-5600 815: 217-789-8290
816: 816-275-8460 817: 214-464-7400 901: 615-373-5791
904: 912-752-2000 906: 313-424-0900 912: 912-752-2000
914: 518-471-8111 916: 415-781-5271
918: 405-236-6121 912: 912-752-2000
_____________________________________________________________________________
XI. Loops
The loop is an alternative communication medium that has many
potential uses. Loops are phone lines that are connected when they are called
simultaneously. One use is when somebody wants another person to call them
back but is reluctant to give out their home phone number (eg., if they were
on a party line).
Loops are found in pairs that are usually close to each other (eg.,
718-492-9996 and 718-492-9997). On a loop, one line is the high end, and the
other is the low end. The high end is always silent. The tone disappears on
the low end when somebody calls the high end.
It is truly only safe to use a loop during non-business hours. During
business, loops are used to test equipment by various telephone companies and
local CO's.
XII. Alliance Teleconferencing
Alliance Teleconferencing is an independent company which allows the
general public to access and use its conferencing equipment.
Billing an Alliance Conference
Alliance Teleconferencing is accessed by dialing 0-700-456-1000 in most
states. In some states, the first and last digits of the suffix vary. There
are four main ways to use Alliance illegally. The first is through a PBX.
Some allow use of the 700 exchange, but many do not.
The second way is with a Blue Box. After seizing the line,
KP-0-700-456-1000-ST is dialed. The equipment now thinks that Alliance has
been dialed from a switchboard and bills the conference to it.
The third way is to a loop. After being connected to Alliance, the
caller contacts the operator by pressing 0. The caller then can ask for the
conference to billed to another number, giving the operator the number of the
high-end of a loop. The operator will then call the loop. A friend of the
phreaker must be prepared to answer the call by calling the low-end. When the
friend answers and accepts the billing, the conference will be billed to the
loop.
The fourth way is from a divertor. Since the divertor is a normal,
home-type line, the phreaker should not have any problems starting a
conference.
Starting a Conference
When Alliance answers, a two-tone combination is emitted. The caller
then types a two digit combination to tell the equipment how many people will
be in the conference, including the originator. Then either # is pressed to
continue or * is pressed to cancel the conference. To dial a each conferee,
the phreaker simply answers each prompt with the phone number of the
corresponding person.
To join the conference, the originator enters #, and to return to
control mode, he enters # again. To transfer control of the conference,
#+6+1+ the phone number of the person you wish to transfer the control to. To
end the conference, the phreaker presses the * button.
XIII. Telephone System Security Measures
To stop telephone fraud, there are many measures which telephone
companies can apply to identify and convict the phone phreaker.
ESS Detection Devices
Telephone companies have had twenty years to work on detection devices;
therefore, they are well refined. Basically, the detection devices will look
for the presence of 2600 Hz where it does not belong, which is in the local
CO. It then records the calling number and all activity after the 2600 Hz.
Automatic Number Identification and the Centralized Automatic Message
Accounting Tapes
Automatic Number Identification (ANI) is an implement in ESS that can
instantly identify the calling party. For every call that is made,
information including the numbers of the calling and receiving parties, the
time of origination of the call, if the called party answered the call, and
the time when the caller has hung-up is recorded on a tape in the Centralized
Automatic Message Accounting (CAMA) office. This includes wrong numbers,
toll-free numbers, and local calls. This tape is then processed for billing
purposes.
Normally, all free calls are ignored, but the billing equipment has been
programmed to recognize many different types of unusual activity. One checks
if a certain 800 number is called excessively. If the number is an SCC, the
equipment can instantly check if the caller is a subscriber of the SCC. If it
is not, it will alert the company of the illegal activity. Another is if
there is a call where the calling party has stayed off-hook for a large
amount of time, but the called party never answers. The equipment recognizes
this as possible use of a Black Box.
Dialed Number Recorders
Placing a Dialed Number Recorders (DNR) on a telephone line is standard
procedure when telephone fraud is suspected. The most common DNR's can do the
following: print all touch tone digits sent (in suspected illegal use of an
SCC), print out all MF and record the presence of 2600hz on the line (in
suspected use of a Blue Box), and activate a tape recorder for a specific
amount of time.
Trap Codes
Trap codes are decoy PIN numbers. If a telephone company find that a
certain PIN number is being used illegally, it will call the real owner and
notify him of the change in his account number. The company will then contact
the FBI to bring their telephone "lock in" trace equipment.
A lock in trace is a device used by the FBI to lock into the phone
user's location. Since all phone connections are held open by a certain
voltage of electricity,
the lock in trace works by patching into the line and generate the same
voltage into the lines. If the caller tries to hang up, voltage is retained.
The phone will continue to ring as if someone was calling even after the call
is disconnected. The trunk then remains open and the call can be traced. The
FBI sets its equipment so that the next time the PIN number is illegally
used, the call goes through, but while
the communication is proceeding, the
FBI traces the call.
Stopping an FBI Trace.
Stopping a trace is quite simple. If the voltage in the line could be
lowered, the trace could not function, since lowering the voltage would also
probably short out the FBI voltage generator. Therefore, any appliance which
uses many volt can be connected to the red and green wires in a wall jack,
and the trace should be removed.
Common Channel Inter-office Signaling
Besides detection devices, Bell has begun to gradually redesign the
network using out-of-band signaling. This is known as Common Channel
Inter-office Signaling (CCIS). Since this signaling method sends all the
signaling information over separate data lines, and does not use any form of
DTMF, all colored boxes do not work under it. Of course, until this
multi-million dollar project is totally complete, boxing will still be
possible. It will become progressively harder to find places to "box" off of,
though.
XIV. Laws Governing the Rights of Phreakers
Since phreaking is one-hundred percent illegal, once discovered, there
are not many laws protecting the phreaker. There are, however some laws
governing steps government agents may take to convict him.
The first law is the Section 605 of Title 47 of the United States Code.
This section forbids interception of communications, except by persons
outlined in Chapter 119, Title 18, which is a portion of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.
In this chapter, Section 2511 (2) (a) (i) says "It shall not be unlawful
under this chapter for an operator of a switchboard, or an officer, employee,
or agent of any communications carrier, whose facilities are used in the
transmission of a wire communication, to intercept, disclose, or use that
communication in the normal course of his employment, while engaged in any
activity which is a necessary incident to the rendition of his service of the
protection of the rights or property of the carrier of such communication."
This means that agents of telephone companies are allowed not only allowed to
tap lines without a warrant, but also allowed to disclose the recording of a
communication.
In the case United States vs. Sugden, the following ruling was made:
"For an unreasonable search and seizure to result from the interception of
the defendant's communication, he must have exhibited a reasonable
expectation of privacy. Where, as here, one uses a communication facility
illegally, no such expectation is required." This simply means that when you
make an illegal call, you have waved your right to privacy.
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The only limit on tapping lines is that it must not be excessive. For
example, in the case Bubis vs. United States, the telephone company monitored
all of the defendant's phone calls for a period of four months. The court
acknowledged the phone company's right of the "protection of the rights and
property of the carrier of such communication," but ordered the evidence
suppressed because the extent of the monitoring was excessive.
Lastly, the limit of the monitoring was set. In the case United States
vs. Bubis, the court ruled, "Thus, it would appear that the tape recordings
of the defendant's conversation had been limited by the phone company to
establish that the calls were in
violation of the subscription agreement (were illegal), and to the
identification of the person using the phone, and for those purposes only,
then the tapes would have been admissible against the defendant." This means
that the telephone company cannot monitor more than the first five minutes of
the communication.
XV. Conclusion
With the advent of many new security features, in the near future, we
may see the end of phreaking. Incorporating CCIS has already begun to
eliminate the use of boxes. The use of longer codes may one day bring illegal
use of SCC's and PBX's to a minimum. Improvement in divertor and loop
equipment will ultimately bring an end to their abuse. Even though telephone
fraud could very well become a memory, in every teenage telecommunicator's
mind, there will always be a Captain Crunch, thinking of a way to "beat" the
system. Such legends as the Captain and Joe the Whistler (the blind phreaker
with perfect pitch), will be remembered forever.
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