[smb at cs.columbia.edu: serious threat models]

[coderman]

On 2/3/06, coderman <coderman at gmail.com> wrote:
> ... the Cirpack switching system Vodafone uses is
> commonly available (to those steeped in EU telco at least).
> [see http://www.cirpack.com/products/hvs.shtml ]

i stand corrected. media reports have indicated Ericsson Mobile
Softswitch was the software in question:
http://www.ericsson.com/products/hp/Mobile_Core_pa.shtml

pretty much any softswitch technology is vulnerable to this type of attack.

see also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softswitch , although some of
this description is a bit misleading or applies to a particular
architecture.  note that some carriers, like Sprint, build their own
softswitching systems in house.  presumably these would be more
resistant to tampering as the detailed information required to mount
such an attack is protected via trade secret and non disclosure.