Dozens of policing agencies are currently using cell-site simulators (CSS) by Jacobs Technology and its Engineering Integration Group (EIG), according to newly-available documents on how that company provides CSS capabilities to local law enforcement. A proposal document from Jacobs Technology,...
What we need is first a way to detect these vehicles. However, that's not enough. We should detect them and then built a publicly available list of all known uses. Its time we get them on a list.
The lower layers all already at least moderately well encrypted, what they're doing here is trying to pull the unencrypted device ID necessary to establish a connection. It's not really what you're sending (though traffic frequency analysis may be included) and more about just figuring out where a particular phone is so they can physically track the user.
They've had these systems since the 90's. There's a documentary about a guy that got caught from one of these its on Netflix. I forget the name. If I remember I will edit this. He went through an insane amount of court documents and files to uncover LE has been illegally using Stingray systems and other custom made devices in cars for decades. They pinpoint physical location down to the square foot.
Edit: Avoid all networks but 5G if possible, use reputable VPN, VOIP. There are apps the send you notifications if your connected to insecure network types one on Fdroid is 5Gcell. The documentary is called Web of make believe: Death, lies, and the internet. Daniel rigmaiden is the guy who exposed the system. Highly recommend if you wanna learn to watch it.
As far as I understand, RF is RF. All the truck device needs to do is operate on the same RF frequencies as the tower with the correct data form and handshakes (which I'm sure the cell companies happily provide), and boom, you're connected.
Phones naturally connect to the strongest signal, which will be these things as long as its signal is stronger than the tower, and then the transceiver on the truck connects to the cell tower and is configured to MITM snoop as traffic is passed through the truck device on to the tower and vice versa.