Grab all mobile numbers

[akhileshbc]

Hi,
I was thinking of something different for my project (for college submission)...
Most of the people try to create a Management system or a simple game as their project... But I want to do something different...
What I have in my mind is...:
-->> A java program (for mobile) that can grab the mobile numbers of the nearby cell phones...
In detail, when the Java program is executed in the mobile, it should return the mobile numbers(only) of other mobiles, near to this one...

Is it possible to do that...????

- Akhilesh

[kfcSmitty]

I don't do mobile development but I would imagine it is not possible to do that unless you connected via bluetooth and each phone was running your application.

Being able to pull information off of any random persons phone within range would be a huge security flaw.

[akhileshbc]

I don't do mobile development but I would imagine it is not possible to do that unless you connected via bluetooth and each phone was running your application.

Being able to pull information off of any random persons phone within range would be a huge security flaw.

Thanks for the info...

I was trying to develop it without installing my application in their phones.... That is, grab the numbers within a 2metre range...

[Shaggy Hiker]

There were some Bluetooth viruses that would connect to any open Bluetooth connection in the vicinity and cause trouble. The same technique would be possible for you, but because of those viruses, I would expect that you would be hardpressed to find a phone that was just accepting any Bluetooth connection request. As kfcSmitty stated, it would be a huge security flaw....and it was, so I would expect that it has been closed by now.

However, you can give it a try. I would start by using a bluetooth dongle like the BlueSmirf, that has some pretty nice software for discovering the capabilities of Bluetooth devices in the area. The first question is whether or not you can see your own phone, and the next question is what information can you get from that phone.

[dclamp]

im pretty sure that the phone number is not stored in a bluetooth accessible location. also the number is not broadcast out to the world. Why would someone want to have the numbers of all local cellphones, other than for a malicious purpose?

[akhileshbc]

However, you can give it a try. I would start by using a bluetooth dongle like the BlueSmirf, that has some pretty nice software for discovering the capabilities of Bluetooth devices in the area. The first question is whether or not you can see your own phone, and the next question is what information can you get from that phone.

Why I am not trying to use the Blue Tooth technique is that, here in my college, most of people are using low-end phones, which don't have the Bluetooth facility...
I want to just grab the phone numbers only....

im pretty sure that the phone number is not stored in a bluetooth accessible location. also the number is not broadcast out to the world. Why would someone want to have the numbers of all local cellphones, other than for a malicious purpose?

No, brother... It is not for any malicious purpose... I was thinking of some new ideas(for my semester project)... I already stated this in my first post... My main question is, whether it is possible or not...

--- Akhilesh

[dclamp]

Just because its for a college project doesnt make it ok i could say i am making a virus that collects peoples credit card and social security number, but its for school, so its fine. See where im going with this?

Either way, it wont be possible. The only time you can see the phone number is if you get a call from the person and you have caller id (assuming their number is not blocked) or if you look in the phone settings

[akhileshbc]

Either way, it wont be possible. The only time you can see the phone number is if you get a call from the person and you have caller id (assuming their number is not blocked) or if you look in the phone settings

So, you are saying that it is not possible....???

Just because its for a college project doesnt make it ok i could say i am making a virus that collects peoples credit card and social security number, but its for school, so its fine. See where im going with this?

I am not trying to collect the information regarding the credit card or security numbers... But, their phone numbers only... That's all....

[dclamp]

yeah i understand i am just pulling your leg. And no, you cannot to it with an app running on a phone. Im sure there is a way to do it, but you would need special hardware that im sure if only accessible to the government.

[akhileshbc]

yeah i understand i am just pulling your leg. And no, you cannot to it with an app running on a phone. Im sure there is a way to do it, but you would need special hardware that im sure if only accessible to the government.

Thanx for the info...

[Shaggy Hiker]

If you are not using Bluetooth, what were you thinking of using? I realize that there must be some technology used for the phone to communicate with the tower, and that technology might actually use the number as an ID, but I rather doubt it. I would also expect that it is both highly proprietary and highly scrambled.

[Jenner]

No, it's not possible at all. You would either need the unique ID of the phone itself in question (because the GSM/CDMA radio will ignore all packets without it) or you need to have an established Bluetooth link with the phone (which requires a shared key on each end).

There is a way to get the IDs of active phones in an area, but it would require specialized radio/computer hardware and knowledge of the internals of each cell-provider's protocols. But you could listen in to transmitted packets from calls, text messages and data. Frequencies would be hard to find and you'd have to sweep through the spectrum with a frequency scanner since the phone could be using any one of hundreds of frequencies at the time. Even then, the signal is digitally encrypted so you wouldn't be able to pick up the data itself; and there's no way to access the address book memory from this.

[akhileshbc]

Thanks guys..
Thanks for all your info... Looks like it is not possible to do as a project...
Thanks again..