Sim forensics
Under Construction
The SIM Card is the basic memory device inside of many mobile phones in use today. This small piece of hardware has been key to solving many cases in the world of SIM Card Forensics. However, without the proper knowledge of the SIM card's filesystem, the user will be missing out on all the valuable information the SIM Card holds.
Getting Started
This is a list of items to get you started on reading SIM Cards and their information:
Quick Guide for SIMCon
- Make sure the SIM Card Reader with SIM Card is connected
- Open SIMCon
- Click File > Read SIM or Click
in the upper left
corner of SIMCon - Click OK when the next dialog box pops up
- Note, some SIM cards are locked. This is where the PIN needs to be entered if known.
- If the PIN is unknown, the SIM cannot be read.
- Click OK again when the next dialog box pops up
Definitions
MF
- Only one MF
- The Master File (MF)
- Root of the SIM Card file system
- Equivalent to the root directory or "/" in the Linux filesystem
DF
- Dedicated Files (DF)
- Equivalent to a folder in a Windows/Linux filesystem
- Usually three DF's
- DF_GSM / DF_DCS1800 / DF_TELECOM
DF_DCS1800 / DF_GSM
- Contains network related information
- Specifying data in DF_GSM writes only to DF_GSM on the SIM
- The SIM is expected to mirror GSM and DCS1800
DF_TELECOM
- Contains the service related information
EF
- Elementary Files (EF)
- Holds one to many records
- Represent the leaf node of the filesystem
- EF's sit below the DF's in the filesystem hierarchy
PLMN
- Public Land Mobile Network
- A PLMN is a network that is established and operated by an administration or by a recognized operating agency (ROA) for the specific purpose of providing land mobile telecommunications services to the public. 2
LAI
- Location Area Identity
- Each location area of a public land mobile network (PLMN) has its own unique identifier which is known as Location Area Identity (LAI). 3
Filesystem
EF_ICCID
This displays the ID or Card Identity of the SIM Card, this can also be found on the SIM card itself.
DF_GSM
EF_IMSI
- International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)4
- 310 - 260 - 653235860
- MCC - MNC - MSIN
- MCC5 (3
Digits)
- Mobile Country Code
- MNC6 (2 Digits
EU / 3 Digits NA)
- Mobile Network Code
- MSIN7 (Remaining Digits)
- Mobile Subscription Identification Number
- Within the network's customer base
EF_PLMNSEL
- List of all PLMN's (see Sim_Filesystem#PLMN
EF_LOCI
- Location Information
- Contains Location Area Identity (see
Sim_Filesystem#LAI
- LAI Network Code (see Sim_Filesystem#PLMN / Sim_Filesystem#LAI
DF_TELECOM
EF_ADN
