Security researchers have identified two active surveillance campaigns exploiting fundamental vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure to track individuals. One campaign leverages flaws in the SS7 and Diameter signaling protocols to illicitly query location data, while a second uses SIMjacker attacks via specialized SMS messages to turn phones into tracking devices. These operations abuse the networks of specific telecom providers, including 019Mobile and Tango Networks U.K., to mask their activities.
Security Operations , Critical Infrastructure Security , Privacy , Data Security Telecom infrastructure exploited in global spy campaigns April 24, 2026 Share By SC Staff As reported by TechCrunch, security researchers have uncovered two distinct spying campaigns that exploit vulnerabilities in global telecommunications infrastructure to track individuals' locations. These campaigns highlight a broader concern about the widespread abuse of global phone networks by surveillance vendors. The Citizen Lab's report details how surveillance vendors, operating as covert entities, piggybacked on legitimate cellular providers to access and exploit network weaknesses. One campaign leveraged flaws in the Signaling System 7 (SS7) protocol, a long-standing backbone of 2G and 3G networks, and also exploited the newer Diameter protocol for 4G and 5G, which is not always implemented with sufficient security. The second campaign utilized a SIMjacker attack, sending specialized SMS messages directly to a target's SIM card to turn their phone into a tracking device. Both campaigns used the infrastructure of specific telecom providers, including 019Mobile, Tango Networks U.K., and Airtel Jersey (owned by Sure), to mask their activities and hide behind the providers' networks. Source: TechCrunch SC Staff Related Security Operations CrowdStrike launches Project QuiltWorks to address AI-discovered software vulnerabilities SC Staff April 24, 2026 The coalition includes major players like Accenture, Ernst & Young, IBM, Kroll, and OpenAI, with support from Anthropic. Security Operations Rilian secures $17.5 million seed funding for AI security integration in defense sector SC Staff April 24, 2026 Rilian aims to bridge the gap between advanced AI and the stringent requirements of national defense systems. Security Operations NCSC launches SilentGlass to combat display cyberattacks SC Staff April 24, 2026 SilentGlass is a gadget compatible with HDMI and DisplayPort connections that identifies and blocks malicious traffic between a computer and its display. Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Basic Authentication Byte Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Decryption Diffie-Hellman Digital Envelope Digital Signature Standard (DSS) Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) Discretionary Access Control (DAC) Geolocation You can skip this ad in 5 seconds