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Intro
No originality is claimed for all this text file, big bits of it were
ripped out of the excellent DNA.TXT which dealt with the AMPS (USA) cellular
system, but these have been modified to relate to the ETACS (UK) system which
has subtle differences. All I have done is collate the information I have
gathered and placed it in one file to make life easier for YOU.
The requirements for snarfing ESN/MIN pairs are:
Scan the band for the telemetry channels, (burbubly noises) there are two blocks of these one belongs to Cellnet and the other Vodafone.
Find the strongest one and set the scanner to exactly 45 MHz lower than the burbubly noise, this is the channel the local phones will be logging to and making calls on.
Feed the output of the scanner to your homemade 8000 baud modem and connect the modems output to your printer port. Then set running your peice of megasnarfing software that you write once you have constructed the modem, and hey presto (or hey tescos), you log the pairs to disk for later use.
There is in this file ALL the info required to successfully snarf pairs, the only thing you don't get is the job done for you.
Mobile Identification Number (MIN)
There are two parts to the 34-bit MIN. They are derived from a cellular
phone number as follows:
MIN2 - a ten bit number representing 234 which is the UK (area) code
STD MIN2 FIRST (First digit of No.) 0836 234 0 0860 234 2 0831 234 4 0374 234 5 0850 234 6 0585 234 9
Take each digit in turn and add 9 to it then use the leftmost digit of the result.
2+9=11 = 1
3+9=12 = 2
4+9=13 = 3
so 234 converted is 123 which is converted directly to binary giving:
0001111011
MIN1 - a 24 bit number representing FIRST + the 6-digit phone number. giving 7 digits in all.
The first four bits of MIN1 are just the binary of FIRST. The next 10 bits are computed the same way as MIN2, only the first 3 digits of the phone number are used.
The last next ten bits of MIN1 are encoded using the final three digits of the phone number in the same way.
So, MIN1 for 2 - 763112 would be:
FIRST 2 (get Phone Number) 2 763 112 (modify digits where appropriate) (2) 652 001 (convert each part to a binary number) 0010 1010001100 0000000001 Thus the complete 34-bit Mobile Identification Number for (2342)-763-112 is: (0860)-763-112 2 763 112 234 __ ________ ________ ________ / \_/ \_/ \_/ \ MIN = 0010 1010001100 0000000001 0001111011 \________________________/~\________/ MIN1 MIN2
Note from Harl: To simplify matters I wrote a small DOS program
some time ago which does this calculation.
I have made it available here.
Electronic Serial Number (ESN)
The serial number for each phone is encoded as a 32 bit binary number.
The ESN is an 8-digit hexadecimal number, which is encoded directly to
binary:
Serial Number = 821A056F Digits = 8 2 1 A 0 5 6 F ESN = 1000 0010 0001 1010 0000 0101 0110 1111When this fone (0860-763112) logs the network, the data sent is thus.
101010101010101010101010101010111100010010xxxxxxx dotting.word.sync.dcc 10101110xxxx001010100011000000000001xxxxxxxxxxxx min1 10101110xxxx001010100011000000000001xxxxxxxxxxxx min1 10101110xxxx001010100011000000000001xxxxxxxxxxxx min1 10101110xxxx001010100011000000000001xxxxxxxxxxxx min1 10101110xxxx001010100011000000000001xxxxxxxxxxxx min1 0001xxxxxxxxxxxxxx000000000001111011xxxxxxxxxxxx min2 0001xxxxxxxxxxxxxx000000000001111011xxxxxxxxxxxx min2 0001xxxxxxxxxxxxxx000000000001111011xxxxxxxxxxxx min2 0001xxxxxxxxxxxxxx000000000001111011xxxxxxxxxxxx min2 0001xxxxxxxxxxxxxx000000000001111011xxxxxxxxxxxx min2 000010000010000110100000010101101111xxxxxxxxxxxx esn 000010000010000110100000010101101111xxxxxxxxxxxx esn 000010000010000110100000010101101111xxxxxxxxxxxx esn 000010000010000110100000010101101111xxxxxxxxxxxx esn 000010000010000110100000010101101111xxxxxxxxxxxx esnetc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.
This is the minimum block needed to recover the pair, the starting place to find to decode the required info is the WORD_SYNC_FLAG 111100010010 find this, and you're halfway home.
All blocks are 48 bits long, and repeated five times, the required info is in the first 36 bits and the remaining 12 bits are a crc/parity word. (See further on for asm routine for calculating crc/parity values).
All relevant info, esn/min1/min2, are in the first 3 words, the optional blocks 4 & 5 contain the dialled digits if the fone is trying to make a call.
Each Cell Control Site uses a maximum of 16 channels, up to 4 of which may be control channels. There will always be at least 1 control channel available in each cell. Cellular Towers are easily identified by the flat triangular platforms at the top of the mast, with short vertical antennas at each corner of the platform.
Supervisory Audio Tone (SAT)
A mobile phone must be able to recognize and retransmit any of the
three audio frequencies used as SAT's.
These tones (and their binary codes) are:
(00) 5970 Hz (01) 6000 Hz (10) 6030 Hz
The SAT is used during signaling, but not during data transmission. The binary codes are sent during data transmission to control which of the SAT tones a mobile phone will be using. Each cell site (or tower) uses only one of the three SATs. The mobile transmitter returns that same SAT to the tower. Tone recognition must take place within 250 milliseconds.
Siganlling Tone (ST)
A 8 KHz tone is used for signaling by mobile phones during alert, handoff,
certain service requests, and disconnect.
Date Transmission
Cellular Phones use a data rate of 8 Kilobits per second, and must be
accurate to within one bit per second. Frequency Modulation (FM) is used
for both voice and data transmissions.
Cellular Telephone Signalling Formats
(RECC) Reverse Control Channel (mobile-to-tower on control channel RECC
Message Format:
Seizure Precursor: Dotting (30 bits) 1010101010101010101010101010101 Word Sync (11 bits) 11100010010 DCC (7 bits) xxxxxxx Digital Color Code (DCC) Received Coded -------- ------- 00 0000000 01 0011111 10 1100011 11 1111100 Message: (from one to five words in length) First Word repeated 5 times (240 bits) Second Word repeated 5 times (240 bits) Third Word repeated 5 times (240 bits) Fourth Word repeated 5 times (240 bits) Fifth Word repeated 5 times (240 bits) ---------------------------------------------------------- There are 4 types of RECC messages: Page Response Message Origination Message Order Confirmation Message Order Message These are composed of combinations of the following message words: Abbreviated Address Word: F (1 bit) 1 (first word indicator) NAWC (3 bits) xxx (number of additional words to send) T (1 bit) x (0=response,1=origination/order) S (1 bit) x (1=serial number will be sent) E (1 bit) x (1=area will to be sent) (1 bit) 0 SCM (4 bits) xxxx (station class mark) MIN1 (24 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (coded 7 digit phone number) P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx (Parity) Extended Address Word: F (1 bit) 0 NAWC (3 bits) xxx LOCAL (5 bits) xxxxx (local control - system specific) ORDQ (3 bits) xxx (order qualifier) ORDER (5 bits) xxxxx (order code) LT (1 bit) x (1=last try) (8 bits) 00000000 MIN2 (10 bits) xxxxxxxxxx (coded Area Code) P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Serial Number Word: F (1 bit) 0 NAWC (3 bits) xxx SERIAL (32 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (serial number) P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx First Word of Called Address: [D1..D16 are the encoded digits] F (1 bit) 0 NAWC (3 bits) xxx D1 (4 bits) xxxx Table of Digit Codes: D2 (4 bits) xxxx ----------------------------- D3 (4 bits) xxxx 1 0001 7 0111 NULL 0000 D4 (4 bits) xxxx 2 0010 8 1000 D5 (4 bits) xxxx 3 0011 9 1001 D6 (4 bits) xxxx 4 0100 0 1010 D7 (4 bits) xxxx 5 0101 * 1011 D8 (4 bits) xxxx 6 0110 # 1100 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Second Word of Called Address: F (1 bit) 0 NAWC (3 bits) 000 D9 (4 bits) xxxx (encoded digits, see above table) D10 (4 bits) xxxx D11 (4 bits) xxxx D12 (4 bits) xxxx D13 (4 bits) xxxx D14 (4 bits) xxxx D15 (4 bits) xxxx D16 (4 bits) xxxx P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx
(RVC) Reverse Voice Channel (mobile-to-tower on voice channel) RVC Message Format:
Dotting (101 bits) 101010101....101 Word Sync (11 bits) 11100010010 Repeat 1 Word 1 (48 bits) xxxxx ... xxxxx Dot (37 bits) 1010101010101010101010101010101 Word Sync (11 bits) 11100010010 Repeat 2 Word 1 (48 bits) xxxxx ... xxxxx . . . . [same pattern of repetition] . . Dot (37 bits) Word Sync (11 bits) Repeat 5 word 1 (48 bits) Dot (37 bits) Word Sync (11 bits) Repeat 1 Word 2 (48 bits) Dot (37 bits) Word Sync (11 bits) Repeat 2 Word 2 (48 bits) . . . . [same pattern of repetition] . . Dot (37 bits) 1010101010101010101010101010101 Word Sync (11 bits) 11100010010 Repeat 5 word 2 (48 bits) xxxxx ... xxxxx ----------------------------------------------------------- There are two kinds of RVC messages: Order Confirmation Message Called Address Message ---------- Order Confirmation Message Word: F (1 bit) 1 NAWC (2 bits) 00 T (1 bit) 1 LOCAL (5 bits) xxxxx ORDQ (3 bits) xxx ORDER (5 bits) xxxxx (19 bits) 0000000000000000000 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx --------- --------- Called Address Message, First Word: F (1 bit) 1 NAWC (2 bits) 01 T (1 bit) 0 D1 (4 bits) xxxx D2 (4 bits) xxxx D3 (4 bits) xxxx D4 (4 bits) xxxx D5 (4 bits) xxxx D6 (4 bits) xxxx D7 (4 bits) xxxx D8 (4 bits) xxxx P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Called Address Message, Second Word: F (1 bit) 1 NAWC (2 bits) 00 T (1 bit) 0 D9 (4 bits) xxxx D10 (4 bits) xxxx D11 (4 bits) xxxx D12 (4 bits) xxxx D13 (4 bits) xxxx D14 (4 bits) xxxx D15 (4 bits) xxxx D16 (4 bits) xxxx P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx --------
(FOCC) Forward Control Channel (tower-to-mobile on control channel) FOCC Message Format:
Dotting (10 bits) b1010101010 Word Sync (11 bits) b11100010010 Repeat 1 word A (40 bits) bxxxxxxxxxxbxxxxxxxxxxbxxxxxxxxxxbxxxxxxxxxx Repeat 1 word B (40 bits) A Busy/Idle Bit (b) is inserted Repeat 2 word A (40 bits) at the beginning of Dotting and Repeat 2 word B (40 bits) Word Sync, and every 10 bits Repeat 3 word A (40 bits) during word repetitions beginning Repeat 3 word B (40 bits) at the start of the first word. Repeat 4 word A (40 bits) b=1 when the RCC is Idle. Repeat 4 word B (40 bits) b=0 when the RCC is Busy. Repeat 5 word A (40 bits) Repeat 5 word B (40 bits) bxxxxxxxxxxbxxxxxxxxxxbxxxxxxxxxxbxxxxxxxxxx Dotting (10 bits) b1010101010 ------------------------------------- There are three types of FOCC messages: Mobile Station Control Message Overhead Message Control-filler Message Mobile Station Control Message: (one,two or four words) ------------------------------ Abbreviated Address Word: TT (2 bits) 0x (00=if one word sent, 01=if multiple words sent) DCC (2 bits) xx Digital Color Code MIN1 (24 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Extended Address Word: (two versions of this word occur) ----------------------------- ----------------------------- TT (2 bits) 10 TT (2 bits) 10 SCC (2 bits) 11 SCC (2 bits) xx [not=11] MIN2 (10 bits) xxxxxxxxxx MIN2 (10 bits) xxxxxxxxxx (1 bit) 0 (1 bit) 0 LOCAL (5 bits) xxxxx VMAC (3 bits) xxx (attenuation code) ORDQ (3 bits) xxx CHAN (11 bits) xxxxxxxxxxx (channel number) ORDER (5 bits) xxxxx P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx First Directed-Retry Word: TT (2 bits) 10 SCC (2 bits) 11 SAT Color Code CHANPOS (7 bits) xxxxxxx channel position relative to first access channel CHANPOS (7 bits) xxxxxxx CHANPOS (7 bits) xxxxxxx (3 bits) 000 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Second Directed-Retry Word: TT (2 bits) 10 SCC (2 bits) 11 CHANPOS (7 bits) xxxxxxx CHANPOS (7 bits) xxxxxxx CHANPOS (7 bits) xxxxxxx (3 bits) 000 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------- ------------------------------- Overhead Messages: System Parameter Overhead Message: Global Action Overhead Message: Registration Identification Message: Control-filler Message: System Parameter Overhead Message: ---------------------------------- System Parameter Word 1: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx (3 bits) 000 NAWC (4 bits) xxxx OHD (3 bits) 110 (overhead message type) P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx System Parameter Word 2: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx S (1 bit) x (serial number flag) E (1 bit) x (extended address flag) REGH (1 bit) x (registration for home stations) REGR (1 bit) x (registration for roaming stations) DTX (1 bit) x (discontinuous transmission flag) (1 bit) 0 N-1 (5 bits) xxxxx (number of paging channels in system minus 1) RCF (1 bit) x (read-control-filler flag) CPA (1 bit) x (combined paging/access flag) CMAX-1 (1 bit) x (number of access channels in system minus 1) END (1 bit) x (1=last word of overhaed message train) OHD (3 bits) 111 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------- ------------------------------- Global Action Overhead Messages: Rescan Global Action Message: TT (2 bit) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx ACT (4 bits) 0001 (16 bits) 0000000000000000 END (1 bit) x OHD (3 bits) 100 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Registration Increment Global Action Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx ACT (4 bits) 0010 REGINCR (12 bits) xx (registration increment) (4 bits) 0000 END (1 bits) xx OHD (3 bits) 100 P (12 bits) xx New Access Channel Set Global Action Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx ACT (4 bits) 0110 NEWACC (11 bits) xxxxxxxxxxx (new access channel starting point) (4 bits) 0000 END (1 bit) x OHD (3 bits) 100 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Overload Control Global Action Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx ACT (4 bits) 1000 OLCD0 (1 bit) x (overload class flags) OLCD2 (1 bit) x OLCD3 (1 bit) x OLCD4 (1 bit) x OLCD5 (1 bit) x OLCD6 (1 bit) x OLCD7 (1 bit) x OLCD8 (1 bit) x OLCD9 (1 bit) x OLCD10 (1 bit) x OLCD11 (1 bit) x OLCD12 (1 bit) x OLCD13 (1 bit) x OLCD14 (1 bit) x OLCD15 (1 bit) x END (1 bit) x OHD (3 bits) 100 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Access Type Paramters Global Action Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx ACT (4 bits) 1001 BIS (1 bit) x (busy/idle status flag) (15 bits) 000000000000000 END (1 bit) x OHD (3 bits) 100 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Access Attempt Parameters Global Action Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx ACT (4 bits) 1010 MAXBUSY-PGR (4 bits) xxxx (maximum busy occurrences, page response) MAXSZTR-PGR (4 bits) xxxx (maximum seizure tries, page response) MAXBUSY-OTHER (4 bits) xxxx (maximum busy occurrences, other accesses) MAXSZTR-OTHER (4 bits) xxxx (maximum seizure tries, other accesses) END (1 bits) x OHD (3 bits) 100 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Local Control 1 Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) x ACT (4 bits) 1110 LOCAL CONTROL (16 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (any local control code) END (1 bits) x OHD (3 bits) 100 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx Local Control 2 Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx ACT (4 bits) 1111 LOCAL CONTROL (16 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx END (1 bits) x OHD (3 bits) 100 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------- Registration Identification Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx REGID (20 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (registration ID) END (1 bit) x OHD (3 bits) 000 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx ------------------------------------ Control-Filler Message: TT (2 bits) 11 DCC (2 bits) xx (6 bits) 010111 CMAC (3 bits) xxx (current mobile attenuation) (7 bits) 0011001 WFOM (1 bit) x (wait for overhead message) (4 bits) 1111 OHD (3 bits) 001 P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx
(FVC) Forward Voice Channel: (tower-to-mobile on voice channel) FVC Message Format:
* BUSY/IDLE bits are inserted into FVC messages in a format similar to that of FOCC messages)
Dotting (101 bits) 101010101...101 Word Sync (11 bits) 11100010010 Repeat 1 Word (40 bits) xxxxx...xxxxx Dot (37 bits) 1010101010101010101010101010101 Word Sync (11 bits) 11100010010 Repeat 2 Word (40 bits) xxxxx...xxxxx Dot (37 bits) Word Sync (11 bits) Repeat 3 Word (40 bits) . . . . [same pattern of repetition] . . Dot (37 bits) 1010101010101010101010101010101 Word Sync (11 bits) 11100010010 Repeat 11 Word (40 bits) xxxxx...xxxxx ----------------------------------------------------------- There is only kind of FVC message: Mobile Station Control Message: Mobile Station Control Word: (two versions of this word occur) ----------------------------- ----------------------------- TT (2 bits) 10 TT (2 bits) 10 PSCC (2 bits) xx PSCC (2 bits) xx (present SAT code) (9 bits) 000000000 (9 bits) 000000000 LOCAL (5 bits) xxxxx VMAC (3 bits) xxx (attenuation code) ORDQ (3 bits) xxx CHAN (11 bits) xxxxxxxxxxx (channel number) ORDER (5 bits) xxxxx P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx P (12 bits) xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cellular Telephone Message Codes
Here are the codes used in Message Word subfields during data transmissions.
Mobile Station Automatic Attenuation Levels
Mobile Attenuation Code (MAC) Power Classifications MAC I II III Nominal ERP Power Outputs --- --- --- --- Class ERP Level 000 6 2 -2 --------- ---- -------- 001 2 2 -2 Class I 4W ( 6 dBW) 010 -2 -2 -2 Class II 1.6W ( 2 dBW) 011 -6 -6 -6 Class III 0.6W (-2 dBW) 100 -10 -10 -10 101 -14 -14 -14 110 -18 -18 -18 111 -22 -22 -22 (Attenuation in dBW)
Station Class Mark (SCM)
SCM Station Class, Transmission ---- ---------------------------- xx00 Class I xx01 Class II xx10 Class III 00xx Continuous Transmissions 01xx Discontinuous Transmissions (for example 0010 means Class I Continuous Transmissions)
Digital Color Code (DCC)
Received Coded -------- ------- 00 0000000 01 0011111 10 1100011 11 1111100
SAT Color Code (Supervisory Audio Tone)
Code Frequency ---- --------- 00 5970 Hz 01 6000 Hz 10 6030 Hz 11 (not a channel designation) ==================================== Digit Code (for dialed numbers etc.) Digit Code ----- ---- 1 0001 2 0010 3 0011 4 0100 5 0101 6 0110 7 0111 8 1000 9 1001 0 1010 (zero is encoded as a binary ten) * 1011 # 1100 Null 0000 (when no digit present) =================================== Order and Qualification Codes Order Qual Function ----- --- --------------------- 00000 000 page (or origination) 00001 000 alert 00011 000 release 00100 000 reorder 00110 000 stop alert 00111 000 audit 01000 000 send called-address 01001 000 intercept 01010 000 maintenance 01011 000 change to power level 0 01011 001 change to power level 1 01011 010 change to power level 2 01011 011 change to power level 3 01011 100 change to power level 4 01011 101 change to power level 5 01011 110 change to power level 6 01011 111 change to power level 7 01100 000 directed retry - not last try 01100 001 directed retry - last try 01101 000 non-autonomous registration - do not make whereabouts known 01101 001 non-autonomous registration - make whereabouts known 01101 010 autonomous registration - do not make whereabouts known 01101 011 autonomous registration - make whereabouts known 11110 000 local control (All other codes are reserved)
Overhead Message Type
Code Order ---- ------------------ 000 registration ID 001 control-filler 010 (reserved) 011 (reserved) 100 global action 101 (reserved) 110 word 1 of system parameter message 111 word 2 of system parameter message
Global Action Message Types
Code Action Type ---- ----------- 0000 (reserved) 0001 rescan paging channels 0010 registration increment 0011 (reserved) 0010 (reserved) 0011 (reserved) 0100 (reserved) 0101 (reserved) 0110 new access channel set 0111 (reserved) 1000 overload control 1001 access type parameters 1010 access attempt parameters 1011 (reserved) 1100 (reserved) 1101 (reserved) 1110 local control 1 1111 local control 2 The "polynomial" that generates the parity word is given as: 12 10 8 5 4 3 0 gB(X)= X + X + X + X + X + X + X
asm routine for calculating parity field:
seg_a segment byte public assume cs:seg_a, ds:seg_a org 100h start proc far jmp real_start crcval dw 0 ; accumulated CRC value start endp updcrc proc near ; follow carefully! push ax ; save input value (in case needed elsewhere) mov cx,0Ch ; CX is loop counter for 12 bits in AX mov bx,crcval ; Load the old CRC value loop1: shl bx,1 ; Shift old value 1 left test ax,800h ; see if hi bit of input is set jz nocary_1 ; no, so skip next 2 or bx,1 ; yes, shift into CRC count (with OR) and ax,7FFh ; remove the high bit (test! is this needed?) nocary_1: shl ax,1 ; shift input 1 left for next time. test bx,1000h ; test crc value for overflow jz nocary_2 ; no, do nothing and bx,0FFFh ; yes, then remove overflow bit xor bx,539h ; do the XOR (see below) nocary_2: loop loop1 ; go back and do some more bits if needed mov crcval,bx ; save the accumulated CRC value pop ax ; restore what we came in with ret ; and back updcrc endp clrcrc proc near ; just clear the CRC value mov crcval,0 ret clrcrc endp ;---------------------------------------------------------------------- ; try the data - split into 3 12 bit words and a 12 bit CRC ; if you call the routines with the 3 12 bit words and then ; call it again with AX=0000 then the CRCVAL should be the same ;101011110001001001011101000111111000 - 101111110000 real_start: call clrcrc ; clear it to start mov ax,0af1h ; first 12 bits 1010 1111 0001 call updcrc ; generate mov ax,025dh ; next 12 0010 0101 1101 call updcrc ; generate mov ax,01f8h ; last 12 0001 1111 1000 call updcrc ; generate mov ax,0bf0h ; the CRC value 1011 1111 0000 call updcrc ; generate ; THE RESULT SHOULD BE 0000 if ok mov ax,4c00h ; terminate and return to DOS int 21h seg_a ends end start
The Parity bits are irrelevant to hacking Cellular ID codes however, because message words are repeated many times in each message block, and the ID fields (MIN1, MIN2 and ESN ) can simply be lifted from the most frequent (and most likely error-free) message words in the block.