TUCoPS :: Phrack Inc. Issue #33 :: p33-07.txt

Phreaking in Germany

                                ==Phrack Inc.==

                Volume Three, Issue Thirty-Three, File 7 of 13

                           //---------------------\\
                          ||   P h r e a k i n g   ||
                          ||                       ||
                          ||          i n          ||
                          ||                       ||
                          ||     G e r m a n y     ||
                          ||                       ||
                          ||           by          ||
                          ||                       ||
                          ||   -=+Ninja Master+=-  ||
                          ||                       ||
                          ||           of          ||
                          ||                       ||
                          || -[The Hellfire Club]- ||
                           \\---------------------//


Phreaking in Germany at this moment is at an all time high.  The main reason is
because of the German reunification.  Most, if not all, of the equipment in
Germany is still mechanical (especially on the former Communist side).  So
Boxing is VERY easy to do, as are line taps.

Tracing on the other hand, is still hard to do.  This is because with the
mechanical switches they need many technicians who look at the switches and
follow the wires on their own.  They usually don't know where the wire leads,
so they have to physically follow the wire to trace it.

There are two main ways of phreaking in Germany at the moment.  One is Boxing
and the other is through Cordless Phones, both of which I will describe.

 //------\\
|| Boxing ||
 \\------//

Boxing in Germany is somewhat similar to the US, but I will describe to you
the whole process.

Most boxing in Germany is started with a call to a toll free number (most of
which produce a connection to a firm in the US, AT&T.) To initiate the call,
you dial 0130 - 81 and the number.  Germany's toll free net starts with 0130.
81 is for connection to the US. You wait for the connection, and blast the
dissconect signal.  As we all know, in the US it's 2600 Hz, but in Germany it's
a mixture of 2400 and 2600 Hz.  After that, you send a single 2400 Hz frequency
to hold the line.  Then you decide if you want a local US call, or an
International call. Don't forget, you are connected to the US now, so it looks
as if anything out of it as International, even though your calling from
Germany.  Calls within the US are done normally, with KP+0+AC+NNNNNNN.
To make the international call, it's KP2+internalional code+0+number.
You have to drop the zero though from the number you care calling.  For
example, in Germany all numbers start with a 02366.

One big difference between boxing in the US and Germany, are the laws.  In
Germany, they look very strictly at data-security, but the laws are not clear
in
 the area of phreaking. No one knows if a phreak is really stealin something
from the German phone company, since he is using a normal phone number. This
may sound stupid to us, but that's how they view it.  Phreaks getting busted
for in Germany is usually a rare occassion, if ever.

 //---------------\\
|| Cordless Phones ||
 \\---------------//

When I am refering to "cordless phones", I'm not talking about portable phones
in the cellular phone system.  I'm talking about simple cordless phones that
you have in your home.  Cordless phones broadcast on a speciffic radio
frequency (around 46MHz) to a "base unit" that is connected to the wall jack.

What the you do now is put a long antenna on the roof of your car. Then
connect the antenna to your handset.  The length of the antenna is usually
best around 1.5 meters long.  You only need the handset, because you are going
to be connecting to another persons base, but make sure the batteries in the
handset are fully charged.  Now, the next step is to drive around in your car,
until you hear a free line.  Then, mearly call anywhere you like!  Usually you
have to situate yourself, and find where the best postion is to recieve the
signal clearly, and that the person who's base your connected to can't see you.

One reason this works quite well, is because most cordless phones in Germany
don't have the code feature that is so prominent here (where you can
select a scrambling code on the handset and base).

One of the incentives to phreak in this manner is because, cordless phones
being illegal, the person, who's dial tone you used, would much rather pay a
few high long distance bills than the even higher fines for geting caught with
a cordless phone.

Cordless phones are forbidden in Germany, although you can buy them almost
anywhere.  What is illegal is to physically connect them to the phone
system.  The phone company there actually searches for people with cordless
phones, by using a specially equiped van.  Once they find that you have a
cordless phone connected, they come with two policmen and a search warrant.
You can be charged with anything from illegal connection of nontested equipment
to forging of a document.

 //----------\\
|| Conclusion ||
 \\----------//

Well, I hope this gave you a little bit of understanding of how disorganized
the phone system is in over there, and gave you a few helpfull hints in case
you ever happen to find yourself in Germany.

If you have any comments, corrections, or additions, you can reach me through
Phrack, or the following boards:

          Lightning  Systems                      9th  Dimension
             414-363-4282                          818-783-5320

Until next time!

            -=+Ninja Master+=-
           -[The Hellfire Club]-
"Tell Telco We're Phreaking, Phreaking USA!"

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