CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidsecuritygeolocationgsm
Barmaley
Barmaley

Reputation: 16363

How to get caller details - cell id?

Let me explain situation:

  1. There's some mobile network (assuming GSM)
  2. In this network there're 2 mobile respondents: Alice and Bob
  3. Their location is unknown to each other
  4. Alice makes outgoing call to Bob. Call is standard, assuming that Alice does not use any special measures to protect her neither any other measures to reveal/send some information about her location.

Question: are there any way for Bob to reveal Alice's device location (Cell Id is enough)

I know that in Android the only available Caller Id info is caller mobile number.

Nevertheless, I also know that GSM network passes other information like: SIM id, ESN/IMEI and also Cell Id - where the caller's device is registered at the moment of making outgoing call.

I would appreciate for any info on this matter. Any possibilities are welcome: rooting, custom ROM, 3rd party services, API's, libraries, NDK, etc.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 2620

Answers (1)

Mick
Mick

Reputation: 25511

The GSM network does not pass the SIM, IMEI etc from one caller to the other if this is what you mean?

It may be useful to remember that voice calls may traverse non GSM networks so the signalling has to be able to handle this.

As a general rule voice calls are routed using the called number until the call reaches the home network of the called party. At that point the HLR (database, effectively, with info to map the called number to a user, device and location) will indicate where the called party device is, whether they are in the home network or roaming on another network, and the call will be routed to the MSC (Call Server) which is hosting the called party at this time.

The network operator can trace all this routing and will usually log all the details of the call including location, called numbers, cell ids etc for billing and for analytics/performance management but I am not aware of any user to user device signalling that would allow Bob, in your example, learn the cell or even the MSC that Alice is attached to.

Upvotes: 1

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