Flaw in Cell Phone Encryption Identified
On March 20th, 1997, Counterpane Labs announced the discovery of a flaw in the privacy protection used in today’s most advanced digital cellular phones.
March 20th Press Release
Paper
CMEA specification
Related Article: Why Cryptography is Harder than it Looks
Press Coverage
The CMEA flaw received widespread press coverage. A few of the articles are archived on this site.
March 20th
Washington Post, San Jose Mercury-News, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Reuters, San Diego Daily Transcript , New York Times, Dow Jones Newsline, The Record, TR Daily, TechWire
March 21st
The Washington Post, USA Today, WirelessNOW, CBS This Morning, Communications Daily, Associated Press, Dow Jones Business News, The Wall Street Journal
Later
Communications Week, The European, The Daily Yomiuri, Electronic Engineering Times, Telephony, Telecommunications Reports, Computing Canada
Industry Response
Cellular Telephone Industry Responds
Counterpane’s Reply to CTIA Response
Watch the Rats Flee
Pactel
Powertel
Qualcomm
Omnipoint
up to Academic
Sidebar photo of Bruce Schneier by Joe MacInnis.