Baseband Attack Vectors
Comprehensive analysis of vulnerabilities and attack techniques targeting baseband processors in mobile devices
Attack Surface Overview
Baseband processors present a complex attack surface due to their privileged position in mobile devices, complex protocol implementations, and limited security controls.
Key attack surfaces include:
- Cellular Protocol Stack: Implementation vulnerabilities in GSM, UMTS, LTE, and 5G NR protocol stacks
- Command Interfaces: AT commands, vendor-specific diagnostic commands
- Baseband-AP Interface: Shared memory regions, inter-processor communication
- Firmware Update Mechanisms: Baseband firmware update and verification
Attack Vector Relationships
Detailed Attack Vectors
Attack Vector Categories
Firmware Attacks
Exploiting vulnerabilities in the baseband firmware to execute arbitrary code or extract sensitive information.
- Memory Corruption
- Bootloader Vulnerabilities
- Firmware Extraction
Emerging Threats
As cellular technologies evolve, new attack vectors continue to emerge in baseband security:
As 5G adoption increases, researchers are identifying new vulnerabilities in 5G baseband implementations, particularly in areas like network slicing and service-based architecture.
Advanced attackers are using machine learning techniques to discover new baseband vulnerabilities through automated fuzzing and pattern analysis of protocol implementations.