Over on YouTube user Keld Norman has uploaded a video showing how he uses an RTL-SDR with gr-gsm and a Python script to create a simple IMSI catcher. IMSI stands for International mobile subscriber identity and is a unique number that identifies a cell phone SIM card in GSM (2G) mobile phone systems. For security IMSI numbers are usually only transmitted when a connection to a new cell tower is made. More advanced IMSI-catchers used by governmental agencies use a fake cell tower signal to force the IMSI to always be revealed. This way they can track the location of mobile phones as well as other data like who or when you are calling.
In the video Keld uses a Python script called IMSI-Catcher. This script displays the detected IMSI numbers, country, and mobile carrier on a text display. The video description shows how to install GR-GSM and the IMSI-Catcher script on Ubuntu.
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