SilentAir intercepts calls and SMS via hijacked mobile networks
Original title: SilentAir Hackers Intercept Calls, SMS From Inside Mobile Networks
Enea says the group mainly targets Taiwan from operator nodes in at least six Asian countries, using SS7 and Diameter.
Telecom security firm Enea detailed SilentAir, a previously unknown actor that intercepts calls and text messages from mobile-operator nodes it has hijacked. Enea assesses with high confidence that it is a state-level actor and, with low confidence, that activity aligns with China-nexus operations. Attacks mostly use SS7 and sometimes Diameter, routing calls and SMS through compromised nodes and collecting subscriber data; location tracking is a smaller share. Taiwan is the main target, with a dozen other countries and territories also hit, including high-profile political and government figures. Enea also reported blocking Liminal Panda’s GTPDoor at operator customers in 2026 and said any link between the groups is not strongly evidenced.
Unconfirmed: China alignment and any connection between SilentAir and Liminal Panda are low-confidence assessments by Enea.
- Enea has monitored SilentAir since early 2025 and found earlier suspicious activity.
- Silent SMS messages may be used to check whether interception worked.
- Liminal Panda is described as the only actor known to actively exploit IPX.
- Enea saw several hundred GTPDoor command-and-control attempts and potential infections at five to ten operators.
Impact: Intercepted calls and SMS plus harvested subscriber details
- Vendors
- Enea
- Threat actors
- SilentAirLiminal Panda
- Malware
- GTPDoor
- Organizations
- CrowdStrike
From the original article
2 min read at securityweek.com
Enea says SilentAir hijacked mobile network nodes to intercept calls and messages, with Taiwanese subscribers the primary targets. The post SilentAir Hackers Intercept Calls, SMS From Inside Mobile Networks appeared first on SecurityWeek.
By Eduard Kovacs · securityweek.com
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