Introduction
Have you ever received a call from an unknown number and wondered who it was? Or perhaps you are performing a penetration test and need to gather information about a target’s phone numbers. It’s important to note that we are not advocating hacking or using this information for any illegal activities. In this article, we’ll explore a powerful tool called PhoneInfoga that can help us gather information about phone numbers, all in an ethical and legal manner. So let’s dive in and uncover the secrets behind phone numbers!
Setting Up PhoneInfoga
First things first, let’s get started with setting up PhoneInfoga. The tool can be run on any Linux distribution, making it accessible to everyone. If you want to get your hands dirty immediately, there’s a fast and free option available through the Google Cloud Console. We’ll guide you through the setup process using this method.
To begin, you’ll need a Google account. Once logged in, navigate to the Google Cloud Console by clicking the Google Cloud Console icon at the top right of the page. This will launch the Google Cloud Shell, providing you with access to a Linux machine in the cloud.
Next, open the GitHub page for PhoneInfoga by following the link provided in the description. On the GitHub page, click on the “Documentation” section and then select “Installation” from the sidebar on the left.
Here, you’ll find two installation options: installing PhoneInfoga directly as an application or using Docker. For simplicity, we’ll demonstrate the Docker installation method. Copy the command provided and paste it into the Google Cloud Console. This command will pull down the Docker image needed to run PhoneInfoga.
Obtaining Information about Phone Numbers
Now that we have PhoneInfoga set up, let’s dive into actually using the tool to gather information about phone numbers. Open the Google Cloud Console and enter the following command:
docker run -it sundowndev/phoneinfoga
This will launch the PhoneInfoga tool in the command line. To begin scanning a phone number, type in scan -n followed by the phone number you want to investigate, including the country code. For example, if the phone number is US-based, start with the country code “1”.
PhoneInfoga will quickly retrieve information about the phone number, such as its validity, location, carrier code, and whether it is a landline or mobile number. It utilizes a combination of scanning techniques, including Numverify and Google Dorking.
Google Dorking is an advanced method of searching for information using specific search parameters. While the command line output may be challenging to parse through, PhoneInfoga also provides a web user interface (UI) that makes it easier to analyze the results.
To access the web UI, enter the following command:
docker run -it -p 8080:8080 sundowndev/phoneinfoga serve -p 8080
This command allows the PhoneInfoga Docker container to use ports 8080 on your Linux server, and the “serve” command instructs PhoneInfoga to launch a web UI on port 8080. To access the web UI, click on the web preview icon at the top of the Google Cloud Console, which will open a web browser displaying the PhoneInfoga web UI.
Using the web UI, you can input a phone number and run the scan, just like in the command line version. The web UI provides a more user-friendly and visually appealing experience.
Analyzing the Results
Once you have scanned a phone number using PhoneInfoga, it’s time to analyze the results. The tool provides various footprints, including general footprints, social media footprints, and reputation footprints.
The general footprints are a result of Google searches, while the social media footprints involve searching platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. PhoneInfoga generates Google Dorking requests for each footprint, allowing you to explore online platforms to see if the phone number is associated with any profiles or online content.
In addition to social media footprints, PhoneInfoga also provides reputation footprints, temporary number footprints, and OVH telecom footprints. These footprints help you identify the reputation of the phone number and potential associated scams or illegal activities.
Conclusion
PhoneInfoga is a powerful tool that enables you to gather information about phone numbers in an ethical and legal manner. Its command line and web UI options allow for flexibility and ease of use, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced users. Remember, always use tools like PhoneInfoga responsibly and ethically, and never engage in any illegal activities. If you’re interested in learning more about ethical hacking or any other IT-related topics, check out IT Pro TV, our sponsor for this video, and use the code “networkchuck” to get a 30% discount. Happy hacking, and remember to always stay on the ethical side of things!
