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IMSI Catcher

Estimated Time: ~5 minutes

Summary​

The IMSI Catcher lab demonstrates cellular identification concepts and how rogue base stations can collect subscriber identifiers.

This simulation is software-only and designed strictly for educational purposes.

Launching the Lab​

Start SDRForge:

python3 SDRForge.py

Select:

IMSI Catcher

IMSI Catcher Menu

Interface Overview​

The dashboard contains:

  • Cellular activity map - Shows simulated movement
  • Device visualization - What a radio would see
  • IMSI collection panel - This is what an attacker would see if a real rouge tower was set up
  • Handoff monitoring feed - Here we can study how towers and phones communicate allowing someone to pose as a fake tower

IMSI Dashboard

What is an IMSI?​

IMSI stands for:

International Mobile Subscriber Identity

It is used by cellular networks to uniquely identify subscribers.

IMSI Collection Feed​

The center panel displays simulated IMSI captures.

IMSI Feed

Device Visualization​

Observe nearby devices moving between cellular towers.

Device Visualization

Handoff Monitoring​

The handoff feed displays movement between cells and simulated tower transitions.

Handoff Feed

Rogue Tower Demonstration​

Notice how multiple devices interact with a simulated rogue tower.

Rogue Tower Diagram

IMSI Catcher Workflow​

Devices
    ↓
 Rogue Tower
    ↓
 IMSI Collection
    ↓
 Activity Feed

Troubleshooting​

Devices are not appearing​

Refresh the page and restart the lab.

Handoff feed stops updating​

Relaunch the simulation.

Dashboard appears frozen​

Reload the browser and restart the lab.