Nostr Web Client

The data and messages and activites that your baseband processor in your mobile phone gets up to... nobody talks about. The manufacturers don't release documentation, the mobile phone networks don't either, and you cannot find out. They even don't disclose things in court, arguing against even high level discussion of what these things get up to.

These processors are not beholden to Android at all, they are totally independent, lower. They can listen in to your conversations, listen to your microphone (or use the speaker as a microphone) and Android would have no idea --- no App can protect you, no Android fork can protect you from these things. GrapheneOS does not protect you from this stuff.

And remember, mobile phone networks are mostly ancient unnecessary tech stacks. All we really need is Internet Protocol. We don't need SMS or calls, we can do VoIP and all kinds of messaging (like nostr or signal) over the Internet. All we really need these days is an Internet connection, not the old text/call stuff.

BUT if you remove your SIM and maybe even poke a hole through your baseband chip, you won't be able to get on the Internet while travelling, you will be stuck with WiFi.

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Discussion

GLACA 1y ago

✊🏼

Frank 1y ago

I am always listening to you for recommendations.

Mike Dilger ☑️ 1y ago

I just stumbled across a great solution. Get a mobile hotspot and put your SIM into that. Then if you need to get on the Internet while out and about, use the mobile hot spot. The mobile hotspot baseband chip can't listen to your microphone on your phone, or monitor anything else.

Mike Dilger ☑️ 1y ago

I think it was Ike (I think Ike) former CTO of the CIA who was giving a talk and on video said the CIA didn't let their agents use mobile phones but fitbits were OK because they don't have a ... and then he stopped mid-sentence and said he couldn't say what he was going to say because it was classified. I'm pretty sure he would have said "baseband processor"

Niall Young 1y ago

Baseband chip still in the phone, doesn’t require a sim for network to connect

Dr. Hax 1y ago

This is true. It's how you are still able to call emergency services even if you don't have a SIM or pay for cellular telephone servicd

Mike Dilger ☑️ 1y ago

I was wondering about that but thought maybe not. These phones work internationally. Are all the cellular networks so compatible that this communication works without a SIM providing the details of the frequencies, passcodes, or whatever?

Dr. Hax 1y ago

The baseband does not have access to the microphone. It's just the chip that handles connecion to the cell network, similar to how the wifi handles connecgions to access points.

However, the baseband can see any traffic that is unencrypted, just like the telco can. This means if you're talking over a plain old telephone service (POTS) line, the baseband can hear what is being said. However, a call to the same person over Jitsi, Matrix or a similar service would be encrypted and the contents would not be accessible to the baseband.

Your solution of using a hotspot has the advantage of separating out your telephone service from your internet connection. This means the phone number you give out to people could be a VoIP line that is not associated with your cellular service provider.

Mike Dilger ☑️ 1y ago

That is what it is supposed to do, but it depends how it is wired up.

"Since the software which runs on baseband processors is usually proprietary, it is impossible to perform an independent code audit. By reverse engineering some of the baseband chips, researchers have found security vulnerabilities that could be used to access and modify data on the phone remotely." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseband_processor

Dissident Sound 1y ago

the 4G/5G is integrated into the same SOC that has your CPU and GPU. this is probably why Huawei 5G tech is banned. in US most Samsung phones come with Qualcomm SOC but in other markets they use Samsung's SOC.

gsovereignty 1y ago

For a while now I've been wanting to build a new phone type device with a built in SDR so that the baseband (and whatever else you want) can be implemented in software and easy to patch.

ede3d957... 1y ago

Do it!

freed0m 1y ago

Agreed. Your phone should be in airplane mode at all times. Don't put a sim in it.

The GL750 (vpn) router is perfect for mobile data, and with the Blue Merle extension allows the IMEI to be flipped every time you change the sim (eg, monthly)