GSM crypto upgrade? (was Re: Newt's phone calls)

[Liz Taylor]

frantz at netcom.com (Bill Frantz) wrote:
> The box has a 3 or 4 digit display which displays "something" about the
> 3DES key, where "something" is some of the bits, or a hash, or ...  With 3
> decimal digits, a MIM attacker has a 999 out of 1000 chance of getting
> caught.

Not true. It will take a MIM machine less than a tenth of a second to
come up with a 3DES key that will have the same three digit hash.
Remember the attack found about Clipper's LEAF hash, which was only
16 bits long?