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4G/LTE Attacks

Rogue eNodeB

CRITICAL SEVERITY
Overview

Rogue eNodeB attacks involve deploying fake LTE base stations that impersonate legitimate network infrastructure to intercept communications and perform man-in-the-middle attacks.

Technical Overview

A rogue eNodeB operates by broadcasting LTE signals with parameters that appear legitimate to devices. Using software-defined radio and open-source LTE stacks (srsRAN, OpenAirInterface), attackers can create convincing fake base stations.

Impact
Potential consequences of this attack
  • •Device connection hijacking
  • •Data interception and manipulation
  • •Denial of service attacks
  • •IMSI extraction
  • •Man-in-the-middle positioning
Attack Vectors
Methods used to execute this attack
  • •Deploy fake eNodeB with legitimate-looking parameters
  • •Use higher signal strength to attract connections
  • •Exploit automatic network selection
  • •Intercept and relay traffic
  • •Perform active attacks on connected devices
Attack Methodology
Step-by-step attack execution process
  1. 1Set up SDR with LTE capability (USRP, BladeRF)
  2. 2Configure srsRAN or OpenAirInterface as eNodeB
  3. 3Mimic legitimate network parameters (MCC, MNC, TAC)
  4. 4Broadcast with higher power than legitimate towers
  5. 5Capture device connections
  6. 6Relay traffic to legitimate network or terminate locally
Mitigations & Defense
Protective measures and countermeasures
  • Implement mutual authentication in LTE
  • Use rogue base station detection systems
  • Monitor for unusual network parameters
  • Deploy network-level anomaly detection
  • Use VPN for all data communications
  • Implement certificate validation in devices
Real-World Examples
Known incidents and use cases
  • →Security research demonstrations
  • →Law enforcement surveillance tools
  • →Corporate espionage operations
  • →Targeted attacks on high-value individuals
  • →Mass surveillance at public events

Related Attacks

4G/LTE Attacks
IMSI Extraction

Despite 4G LTE's improved security, IMSI extraction attacks exploit vulnerabilities in the attach procedure to capture subscriber identities before encryption is established.

4G/LTE Attacks
MitM Attacks

Man-in-the-Middle attacks on LTE networks position the attacker between the device and legitimate network infrastructure to intercept, monitor, and manipulate communications.

4G/LTE Attacks
DoS Attacks

Denial of Service attacks on LTE networks aim to disrupt service availability by overwhelming network resources, exploiting protocol vulnerabilities, or jamming radio frequencies.

References & Further Reading