Abstract
Mobile communication systems have been developing for decades. Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third-generation mobile cellular system for networks based on the GSM standard. As an evolved technology of GSM, UMTS has adopted a more reliable security mechanism. Integrity protection and mutual authentication were added in UMTS. However we carefully analyzed UMTS location update procedure specifications and uncover several vulnerabilities in UMTS. By sending specific types of LOCATION UPDATING REJECT messages during location update procedure, the rogue base station can deny all services to a target UMTS device. We also present several countermeasures including increasing the rate of TMSI reallocation, rebooting or re-inserting the SIM/USIM card and installing the protection application on UE to resist these vulnerabilities.
Z.-S. Tian, W.-G. Li and Y. Yao—Foundation Item: National Natural Science Foundation of China (61301126); Young Science Research Program of ChongQing University of Posts and Telecommunications (No. A2013-31).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cattaneo, G., De Maio, G., Faruolo, P., et al.: A review of security attacks on the GSM standard. In: Information and Communication Technology-EurAsia Conference, pp. 507–512. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)
Song, Y., Zhou, K., Chen, X.: Fake BTS attacks of GSM system on software radio platform. JNW 7(2), 275–281 (2012)
ISO/IEC 9798-4: Information Technology; Security Techniques; Entity Authentication Part 4: Mechanisms using a cryptographic check function (1999)
Kambourakis, G., Kolias, C., Gritzalis S., et al.: Signaling-oriented DoS attacks in UMTS networks. International Conference on Information Security and Assurance, pp. 280–289. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)
Ricciato, F., Coluccia, A., Dalconzo, A.: A review of DoS attack models for 3G cellular networks from a system-design perspective. Comput. Commun. 33(5), 551–558 (2010)
Kaaranen, H.: UMTS Networks: Architecture Mobility and Services, pp. 3–10. Wiley, Hoboken (2005)
Koien, G.M.: Entity Authentication and Personal Privacy in Future Cellular Systems, pp. 33–36. River Publishers, Aalborg (2009)
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project. 3GPP TS 25.304 v13.0.0. User Equipment (UE) procedures in idle mode and procedures for cell reselection in connected mode. USA: 3GPP Publications Offices, pp. 18–40 (2015)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Tian, Z., Li, W., Yao, Y. (2019). Vulnerabilities in UMTS Location Update Procedure and Its Countermeasures. In: Liang, Q., Mu, J., Jia, M., Wang, W., Feng, X., Zhang, B. (eds) Communications, Signal Processing, and Systems. CSPS 2017. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 463. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6571-2_67
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6571-2_67
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6570-5
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6571-2
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)