The method is not 100 percent accurate but tests proved that it has 80 percent of reliability which is a big number. The research team carried out multiple experiments and found the accuracy of location hacking for each messaging platform was different:
82% for Signal targets 80% for Threema 74% for those using WhatsApp
To make it easily understandable, if I send a message to someone, it will show an indicator of whether the message is received or not. This timing is the distance traveled by the message to reach the receiver which is quite minimal. However, the attacker can easily reach your location data by checking the logs of a packet capture application like Wireshark. The trick lies in measuring the time taken for the attacker to receive the message delivery status notification on a message sent to the target. Because mobile internet networks and IM app server infrastructure have specific physical characteristics that result in standard signal pathways, these notifications have predictable delays based on the user’s position. This attack can be used against specific targets and not for everyone who uses these apps. Hackers need to message users when they are in a known location and note the timings. Once they have this calibration data, they can easily find the location of a user by sending a message. The team said that the only solution to this issue is to introduce a system that will randomize the delivery confirmation. Next, the attacker needs to classify the different locations and match them to measured “round-trip” times, and then attempt to correlate these pairs with the target’s location using the known data set. However, it should be noted here that location hacking can be done by those people who know your whereabouts such as where you work when you go home, and your favorite places you visit often. Otherwise, a random person who does not know anything about you would not be able to know your location. Also Read: WhatsApp Down in Pakistan? Users complain of disruption in services
