Identifying Security and Privacy Vulnerabilities in 4G LTE and IoT Communications Networks

Abstract

The fourth-generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless system has supported tremendous growth in the number of mobile users accessing high speed data communications. Due to the large numbers of users in large-scale Internet of Things (IoT) application relying on LTE, it is increasingly important to consider the level of data privacy and security in wireless systems. Furthermore, IoT devices are typically more vulnerable to security attacks due to their limited hardware functionalities. The most common wireless communication attacks include intercepting, spoofing and Denial of Service (DoS). This paper investigates the design and implementation of DoS attacks on 4G and IoT user equipment (UE) using open-source software-defined radio (SDR) equipment. During the DoS security attack, we also identify a UE International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) disclosure attack, which is a significant privacy risk. Finally, we present detailed LTE security analysis and discuss potential solutions to prevent attacks in 4G and future 5G wireless communication systems.