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Is it dangerous to give out IMEI number?
From the seller’s side, giving out an IMEI number is a huge risk. Some sellers have lost their phones’ usability to hackers after giving the IMEI out to criminals masquerading as potential bidders. The safest bet is to only give the IMEI number to someone who has already paid for the phone.
Does IMEI affect network?
IMEI numbers are hard-coded into device hardware, making it nearly impossible to change them without somehow damaging the device. When a carrier knows that a device has been stolen, it can blacklist the IMEI code and lock it out of the network. Later on, it tells other cellular networks to do the same.
Is it safe to check IMEI online?
The GSM/3GPP standards specify the purpose of the IMEI as identifying the mobile equipment (the device, not the person using it). These are industry standards. I did some research online and on academic papers and IMEI does pose a minor risk in privacy and spoofing by counterfeiters.
Is the IMSI number the same as the IMEI number?
IMSI is not your IMEI number even though they are both sent to your mobile operator and register in the network. IMEI is the unique phone’s hardware element. It identifies the device. IMSI identifies the SIM card and it’s also a unique number. IMSI consists of 15 digits.
Where are the IMSI numbers stored on a cell phone?
Each IMSI is a unique code. It is securely stored and sent by your device to your network in order to identify you. IMSI numbers are associated with mobile networks, both GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). They are stored on your SIM card. Each IMSI consists of three parts:
Why are IMEI numbers sent to remote server?
An app which automatically send the IMSI to a server is as much a security or privacy issue as a software application which automatically sends the user email to a remote server; many people would feel uncomfortable at the latter, and it begs the question of why it is done in the first place.
What happens if an attacker knows your IMSI number?
If the attacker knows the IMSI, the very first consequence is location privacy breach. Meaning that using IMSI, you can try to find the approximate location of the victim by exploiting the signalling protocols such as SS7. These kind of attacks can be performed just by knowing the victim’s phone number.