How to Clone Your Cell Phone’s SIM Card (maybe)
Back in January of this year I wrote an article addressing the question of whether it was possible to clone a SIM card from a GSM cell phone. The article explained why such action wasn’t possible with a SIM card reader and basic software. Since that article, the reader comments have been consistently flowing in and the article remains one of my most frequently read items. Despite my explanation, some readers have claimed that they have succeeded at what I said was impossible. Unfortunately, when pressed for details, responses where either nonexistent or lacking critical details. Fortunately, all that changed on 9/26/2008 when reader DonJuan posted a detailed response that might just do what many of us want to do with our SIM cards.
SIM chip cloning instructions as explained by reader DonJuan
Without further delay, here is exactly how DonJuan successfully cloned his SIM chip:
- Buy simcard reader/writer.
- Buy blank 3g simcard
- Download Magicsim at http://www.magicsim.com/en/multi-sim.asp?new_id=6
- Download http://www.filecart.com/Windows/System-Utilities/Backup-Restore/USB-SIM-Card-Reader-Software_1711_1.html
- Install programs.
- Go in phone tools, select sim card, then select unlock sim, it will promt for a code.
Call AT&T, they will ask for your phone number, your account info, name and security code, then they will ask why you want to unlock your simcard, just tell them you need to unlock your sim to get it to work with your overseas phone or something. - Once they give you the sim unlock code, enter it, and it will say sim unlocked.
- Remove the sim from your phone, place it in the cardreader, click read from card in magic sim program.
- Once it says connected, select crack sim in the toolbar. click strong ki and clink all of the other find options and then click start.
- Once your ki is found and the crack is finished, click file, save as and save your cracked sim info to a dt file.
- IMPORTANT!!! you must click disconnect from the file menu or you will ruin your simcard. once it says disconnected, remove the sim. put it in your phone and see if it still works, it should. if not, you either did not unlock your sim, or you tried to copy it instead of crack and save.
- Insert black 3g card Use other program, not magic sim at this point.
- Click connect
- It will say no info found if it is truly blank.
- Select write to sim, it will promt you to select a dat file, select the one you saved before, now click start, it will take about 10 minutes to write it, once it is complete, it will ask for a security code, enter the security code AT&T gave you, then click finish.
- Your card is cloned. if you try to make 2 calls at the same time, one will go through, the other will say call failed, and both phones will get the same messages, text and voice, and both will recieve the same calls, but only one can talk at a time.
Caveats and warnings about cloning your SIM card
As of yet, I have NOT attempted to follow DonJuan’s instructions so I cannot confirm whether or not this process works. I did download both of the required applications in preparation for my future attempt. Therefore I should point out that I uploaded one of those applications to Virus Total to have it scanned for viruses. I was disappointed to see that F-Secure found one piece of questionable code in the Sim Card reader software listed in step 4. On the other hand F-Secure only represents 1 out of 36 scanners on Virus Total therefore it’s up to you to decide whether or not to install this application.
The MagicSim software unfortunately was too large for Virus Total so I have no idea whether this application is virus free or not. I recommend that if you decide to follow DonJuan’s instructions you do so on an extra computer (one you’re willing to infect with viruses if it comes to that) or install something like VMWare and install these applications in a virtual computer running inside of your current computer. This way, if these applications do have viruses, you can simply kill the infection by deleting the virtual computer.
All that being said, clone your SIM chip with this process at your own risk. As I already mentioned, I have NOT validated these instructions with my own test. I simply put them in a dedicated article on this site because I said I would do something like this if someone provided a detailed list of instructions. If you follow DonJuan’s instructions, and have success, please post a comment here and share your experience with the rest of the TechTraction readers.
Please Note: Keep in mind that blatant SPAM urls added to comments will be removed.
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Filed under: How-To & Tech Tips
The process to clone the cell phone is well explained and I did not understand the exact reason to clone the SIM card ?
It will be better if you can make the blog more descriptive.
oh many thanks for an infinitely valuable information… i also didn’t think this was possible, and thanks for the warning!
Hi Bret,
I like the article, but cant believe this without testing. I am searching all over internet, cant find any 3g blank simcard seller, could u point me to something..,
thank you..,
hope, one day u will also test this process, without the fear of virus.
Bret,
I have one more doubt,
what exactly is SIM unlock.
I have unlocked my blackjack phone with IMEI code, and used it with international sims outside USA.
San, sorry but I still haven’t tested this cloning process but I am in agreement with your doubts — it all seems to good to be true.
As for a 3G SIM reader — again, I am sorry but I have seen any such device.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance. Nevertheless, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
take it easy..,
I think u will have a tap on this topic in various forms.. and update us with a more detailed post..,
Hi,
I followed the steps on the tutorial, and I couldn’t clone the sim card, I have an ATT sim card from an iPhone and bought 2 blank 3g simcards as well as a card reader and downloaded the software but so far, no success in reading the original sim card. There are few versions of the magic sim and so far all the ones I’ve found none of them work. I even paid 70 dls for a sim card reader software that was supposed to read deleted sms and last dial numbers and does not even achieve that, what a waste of money. The version of the sim cards I have attempted to read are probably version 3. The desing on the cards is different. So no success. So Don Juan claims to have successfully achieved the cloning, there has to be something else or his sim card is from a different version. My sim card has not been able to be properly read.
Okrax, thanks so much for documenting your experience here in the comment thread (sorry it took so long to approve the comment — problems with spam catcher).
Well folks, looks we have one confirmed “no success” experience with DonJuan’s suggested SIM card cloning approach. Anyone else care to share their expereince?
Thanks again Okrax.
Thank you so much fro the great advice and warning. I know that is very possible to happen. I did learned a lot today from your site. keep it up.
You have to unlock your sim first guys! that is the whole key about it! once you unlock the sim’s security, you can not only read the ki, you can re-write it. Part of the reason you might not be able to read it is because you tried to read it before without unlocking it first and it locked the sim. now im trying to clone tracfones sim cards, it is a cake walk, but you can only use it in the original phone so its pointless. Tmobile sim cards are hard to clone for some reason, they just dont work after you clone them for some reason.
I have a question for Don Juan…
You talk about unlocking the sim, but the process is a bit unclear to me. Do you refer to unlocking the sim with the sim code that is 4 digits or are you talking about the PUK code. Because I did that, and the software even asked me the unlocking code, entered and was successfull, but unable to read the ki, despite all the attempts. I’ve left the software running for over 10 hours and no ki has been found. Could it be the brand of the reader you are using? could it be the software version you are using? could it be the sim card you have?
Hi Guys, I’ve tried this with my AT&T sim, it just won’t be read by my sim reader. I can read much older sim cards no problem. I’m using the magicsim USB sim card reader and I get an error no matter what speed I try. (4800 baud, 9600, etc.). I also called AT&T regarding the SIM lock code, it’s just 1234, I tried it when the SIM is in my phone, it locks and un-locks the sim with that code… Anyone else have any success with sim cloning an AT&T sim?
I’m a bit of a “techie” so I understand everything you guys are writing on this subject, thanks!! What I want to know is if anyone has tried and successfully done a clone of a T-Mobile SIM Card… I own a T-Mobile smartphone and would like to be able to leave the bulky phone at home and carry a lighter one with me when I’m out and about without having to swap the SIM. Thanks for everything!!!
Some resources you folks might be interested in:
Sim card reader / writer: “http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKAD10″
This is a kit, but it has been able to read / write to every SIM I have tried. You might want to pick up a : “http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=TTL232R”
This is a serial to USB converter cable. The sim kit has a header for it.
The software that you can download for this reader will allow you to backup and restore your address book and SMS messages. For cloning you will need some different software. I believe that the current generation of SIM cards can NOT be cloned because the weakness in the encryption function was fixed, therefore a brute force hack of the secret key is no longer possible.
There is a nice video that explains alot about SIM cards and even shows how to clone one at: “http://www.citizenengineer.com/”
Like I said though, I do not believe that it will work on the latest generation of SIM cards.
Hope this information proves usefull.
Thanks!