Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

by law, you should not DO IT... There's no law to prevent you from telling others HOW to do it :p

There was a software I used (BB5) to debrand my brother's 5800. by altering the product code.. There was an option to change IMEI also, but I didnt want to risk it.

is there any software like this for the n900?

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

I think there is no incentive to work on it.
Debranding is a serious incentive for phones like 5800 but it is not a case for N900. Why I could work on it - it doesn't benefit neither me nor another normal N900 owners?

Of course, Asia men may work their own way. But in most countries with educated people it is possible to buy a phone w/out suppling your name/address.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

afaq made some good points there..

yeah, I'd like to see you happily throwing away your new £450 phone as you realise that it's stolen. Or maybe ask the police to pay you back :rolleyes:
Concerning that market, would you really want that authorities worldwide could just with one click shut down your mobile?
I wouldn't (FYI: I already had a phone stolen, not nice; still..)
But that is not the actual point IMO.

precisely.

Unfortunately having trust in the police to always do only the Right Thing with the power/information they have hasn't quite proofed a good idea. This is not about 'having something to hide' or sth illegal going on, it is about privacy rights and prevention.
And this discussinon is especially in the interest those who legally obtained their phone: It's a very short way from the phone vendor to your doorstep.
I don't get why on this topic, even the members of an open source based community are against giving the user the right to control his identity. No one would go on and say 'TOR is abused a lot by criminals. Let's make it illegal and ensure that everyone connecting to the internet is 100% identifiable. Oh and we should add the functionality to brick their computer if we see them try to use it' (btw, IPv6 gives me the creeps..).
Furthermore, I do think this is a topic that should rather be discussed here than advising ppl to leave the forum and search on hacking sites. Please don't get me wrong on that, I do not at all want to promote any illegal actions, but a technical discussion should still be possible. Or will maemo.org then get blocked by the big UK firewall? :)

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

If you don't believe a police - why I should believe you? I have much more reason to believe a police.

As long as there is no way to change IMEI in my N900 I am sure there is no market for stolen N900 and it is much less probability that somebody can steal my N900.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

this really isn't about believing in the police or in me (I don't quite have their tools.. although anyone with enough money can easily get any information they want, with politicians that are like a cab for hire)
sure, cause thieves are going to check what phone you have before they steal it from you. out of your pocket in the subway, running away with your handbag.... oh and if they happen to get a n900 you'll probably get it back as it's no use for them :confused:

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

so it is ok to break the law if you are wearing a tinfoil hat?

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Man seriously, in this topic you've only said that the police is honest, the government is honest, you have all the rights, they will never infringe those rights and everybody is equal.

you're american, you should know better. you, from all the civilized countries have the least rights.
I was actually laughing with a friend in december when in Frankfurt they had extra security checks for americans.
Anyhow, you are part of the country (free) which is the most controlled on the planet.

The police can track you down only using your IMEI, if they want to, even if you change the sim card they will know who to track, because they can chose from IMEI and phone number. Do they abuse it? hell yea, I know thousand of chases. I even abused the system asking a friend to track down someone, and my friend is at the low end of the chain of command. I won't go into details since it would be stupid of me to do that, as it's illegal, as there is no prof.
I know cases in the news paper when the police tracked down criminals from their IMEI as they used to swipe simcards very often.
I even found to buy a tracker, and device listener (exactly as said before to listen to the conversations), but it was too expensive for me (10000euros). It's not illegal to sell it, but it's illegal to own it.

Stop trusting everything they say about privacy, law, only court order. Everybody has his price, and if you find someone who's too expensive, go to his colleague, he will be cheaper.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

changing imei is illegal and totally wrong for the reason of its existange. perioid.

did you know that there is a lot of information about everyone outside gsm-data too? health records, addresses, tax information....

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Great argument: it's wrong according You, so it must be wrong:)

You health records, adressess etc. can not hear what you talking about or find your geographical location.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

yes, but there's a big difference between that and tracking me.
what makes you think that this won't be abused.
Changing IMEI is illegal only in some countries of the EU, not all.

L.E. : we're going off-topic, and I think we should stop, I just wanted to state this, not to go in to a debate, it's everybody right and opinion, I personally, have nothing to hide so they can track me down as much as they want, but at a certain point they might cross the line, since they've already started.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

why are you scared to be identified via your IMEI when your identified on 100's of CCTV cameras daily without your knowledge.
i'd rather people protest about DNA data base and CCTV and email data bases than about them knowing your IMEI
your phone is a choice you don't have to buy one but you DNA is in forever and if certain members of government in various countries get there way people will be put in DNA archives from birth

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

no, I'm not. the only place I'm identified is at work if I arrive to early and have to use the RFID to disconnect the alarm, and at the ATM once in a while. I can swear I never passed a CCTV camera in the last month except the supermarket.
Also, no DNA database, no fingerprint (which means no passport thanks to the USA).
Also most CCTVs in other countries don't belong to the municipality or the Police, they are private, so it's harder for someone to access them,
while with IMEI they can track you wherever they want without even struggling.
Anyhow, I understand that in some countries is illegal, due to the amount of stolen phones, but there is a thin line between privacy and big brother theory, which is very dangerous. Exactly like Google Cookies ;) which can lead to another story like the one where AOL disclosed it's database of cookies, and CNN managed to track that person down even if it didn't had any personal data (name, Social security number etc)
plus in my country it's not illegal, so I should be able to change it.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

you probably used nemesis service siute... like i said... you CAN change the imei ... but you have to recalculate the securtyzones .... and this will be expensive...

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

nearly every town centre in UK is monitored by CCTV and control centres are run by the police or contracted to security firms to assist the police and local councils.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

when i mentioned CCTV i was not talking about local supermarkets i was talking about public spaces,nearly every town centre in UK is monitored by CCTV and control centres are run by the police or contracted to security firms to assist the police and local councils.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

UK != the World :)

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Siva zona. :)

IMEI information is usualy paired with your IMSI and can be stored by your operator in order to identify you as a user of some device so they can customize their offers for device dependent value added services, or to protect themselfs against abuse of sims embedded in special hardware. Usually a history of IMSI-IMEI pairs is kept and it is posible to trace any change in hardware for a selected sim. Police could requst this info from operators if court so orders, but IMHO it is not a practice for tracing stolen phones. I guess investigation costs much more then a stolen phone, and such events unless they are organized crime, or similar issue, are not interesting to the police.

You would be amazed how many IMEI duplicates one can find in a single network, and I can't imagine all the reasons why this is so, but it renders them useless for unique identification.

If you know how to, and in dilema to change imei or not. Just don't. Your device could be identifed as something else, and change itself can be noticed. :)

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Yes, it is true.

That is not true, at least in US. They need an approval. Without it they would be not serviced by provider who has all equipment. If they do and I know it I can be reach (I don't consider some extreme cases).

I don't know and it is an exact reason why in Frankfurt there is an additional security for US flights. It is like Internet firewall. Sorry for you guys.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Changing the IMEI sounds as fishy as falsifying a motor vehicle's identification plate/vin.

Anyone smell a fish

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

i've not thought that or implied that
i'm telling people how it is here in UK and correcting outsiders how it is here when they think its different.
i can hardly go on about the big brother state of somewhere else when i've never lived there, i can only tell about my own experiences in my own country

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Man where do you live? Noone in this world I know would sell you such information unless they are ultimately stupid. Companies keep access logs, and leak can be identified in less then a minute.
And for what? A price of a hendset? Come on. :mad:

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Discussing about moral & law reasons serve no purpose I think. If it is not legal on your country, or if you really really trust your government (sounds stupid, anyway..) and you don't want to be anonymized, so do not change your IMEI. But not all ppl wants to change their devices' IMEI number are criminals :) Personally, I prefer to be anonymous. Not because I'm a criminal or a threat to anyone (Because I'll dominate the World. mwahaha--) just because I think I have rights to have a private life, with private information. And my mobile device -which bought by me. It was not free, or given as a gift by government- should not be a collar for me. But, like I said, It is matter of choice. I prefer to be anonymous, I LOVE being anonymous and I don't think It is reasonable to trust anyone (police,government, you name it) that much.

So, It's better to not discuss why to do it. Since I own this device, I think I have the right to customize or change any parts of it.

About how to do; I think it is not that important even if it's written on HW, It can be possible to emulate it on-the-fly. (like WiFi MAC address, which already mentioned)

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

IMEI writing is only illegal in certain countries.

The IMEI is stored in a non-writable block on the N900. It's most definitely possible to modify it, provided you have the right tools.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

True.

But it completely undermines the discussed goal - anonymity. Because anonymity requires a change on-a-fly, without visiting some lab with equipment. If you change IMEI once you are not shielded by anonymity, phone is localized/bind to your SIM card soon after that.

So, if people insist on discussing this topic then they have another reason...

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

I think that we should not stop :-)

This thread is just starting to get interesting. I think that it is quite important that this kind of discussion goes on about things like changing imei codes on phones.
At least in democratic countries the law is basically just a written expression of what is commonly accepted to be right or wrong in the community.
I think that therefore it is you and I who ultimately decide in our democratic communities (read countries) what is illegal and what is not.
As we all have noticed already while reading this thread; changing imei codes is illegal in some countries and legal in others - doesn't that alone make you wonder why is that?

I wouldn't want to be tracked by an imei code (or by any other means). Unfortunately I don't have any choice in my country at the moment. I think that this is wrong and that this is something that needs to change in the future.

propelli

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

You don't need to write that location to change the IMEI. What you need to do is change the firmware code that reads the IMEI.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

It is true too.

Just decrypt the checksum capability and it could be OK to change firmware.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Why da hell would you want to change your IMEI anyways?! I can only think of negative outcomes.

Plus, isn't it like trying to change a MAC address? I don't think it's possible... Maybe you could spoof some sites/individuals, but your IMEI should never change.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Changing your MAC address is trivial, and has no real impact beyond your nearest router (cablemodem, wifi router, etc.) On top of that, it isn't illegal.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

You right, and changing IMEI usually has one goal - sell stolen phone. Actually, it is required before selling a stolen phone because old IMEI can be blocked pretty fast and phone can be useless.

It is like changing car VIN - without it it is impossible to register a stolen car.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

one thing you're forgetting - most of the handsets in the US are not GSM, and as such do not have an IMEI number. most of the handsets are CDMA and have an ESN. and according to Wikipedia, there are no more unique ESNs, the last unique codes having been allocated back in November 2008.

but i'm just being a pedant now ;)

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Leaving aside all the legal arguments (not really the place to argue for/against), I am curious why you would want to do it?

Changing the IMEI can, in some cases cause the device to be blocked by some over-eager networks which use the EIR (Equipment Identity Register) function in network equipment to stop stolen mobile devices being used.

I can't tell you how to change the IMEI, but I would suggest you not to do it, unless you have a really good reason to do it.

Hope that helps.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

simple solution: stop using cellphones. problem solved and then you aren't bending the morale either.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

same to you. stop using gsm networks and there you go. public wlans can be found pretty easily today imo....

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

+1 for Ossipena's answer.

If you value your privacy that much then stop using a) mobile phones, b) any form of electronic banking and to a lesser form c) the internet.

Between those 3 services it is possible to see what you are doing, where and with who.

I value my privacy alot, and I take as many precautions to maintain it as much as possible. In the end the best you can do it make it as difficult as possible - use cash when possible, turn off you're phone between calls, etc.

I think you have to think about what you (egoshin and Aranel)are saying..

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Internet is safe if you know how to use it, there are a lot of platforms like TOR for privacy. Also, mobile phone, I repeat, if I want not to be tracked can be done, by switching IMEI and Sim card at the same time, so you would appear as a new phone in the network.

The banking, I don't care about that, since the bank can only see where I buy, not what. But if you would want safe banking Switzerland is always available, or countries you've never heard off.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

I often wonder what's more dangerous - the abuse potential of trackability or the false sense of anonymity people sometimes have.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

New readers: To summarise the thread up to this point then, it can be done (at least in theory) but no-one who has the skills seems that interested.

Certainly a topic to take off TMO and onto one of the less regulated forums where such dodgy matters can be discussed with no prejudgements.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

1. Tor does not provide privacy. It provides a certain level of anonymity but once you exit from the Tor network, it is possible to have your traffic intercepted.

Tor has been already been attacked by Tor router owners who sniff their users traffic.

* http://wiki.noreply.org/noreply/TheO...tEavesdroppers
* http://archives.seul.org/or/talk/Sep-2007/msg00082.html

Hence, Tor does not provide you with 100% privacy, only a certain level of anonymity.

2. Switching IMEI and SIM at the same time? WTF? You mean using a different device? Sure, thats what most people who want to protect their privacy do - journalists, private people, whistle-blowers, etc.

3. Banking. Switzerland is not as private as it used to be.

Anyway, I think this thread is a few replies away from invoking Godwin's Law.

Re: Is changing IMEI possible?
 

Are you seriously saying that you think it's OK to use stolen equipment?

You may have misunderstood how to use the police force. Hint: Tell them about the fence. You can legally claim your money back. And in the case the fence is so untrackable that it's imposible to find him and his money then it's really your own fault that you lost your money: It should have been quite clear to you that the seller was selling dubious goods, and you deserve your loss.