SIGTRAN Protocol Security
Exploring vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and security testing methodologies for the SIGTRAN protocol suite
SIGTRAN Protocol Security Overview
SIGTRAN (Signaling Transport) is a set of protocols that enables SS7 signaling over IP networks, bridging traditional telecommunications infrastructure with modern IP-based networks. While SIGTRAN offers advantages in terms of flexibility and cost-efficiency, it also introduces new security challenges by exposing traditionally isolated SS7 networks to IP-based threats.
Understanding SIGTRAN vulnerabilities is essential as these protocols connect legacy SS7 networks to IP networks, potentially exposing telecommunications infrastructure to both traditional signaling attacks and IP-based threats.
Key Security Challenges
- Exposure of SS7 signaling to IP network vulnerabilities
- Inadequate authentication mechanisms in many implementations
- Challenges in securing the boundary between SS7 and IP domains
- Limited encryption in standard implementations
- Difficulty in monitoring and filtering SIGTRAN traffic effectively
SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol)
Transport layer protocol for SIGTRAN
Vulnerable to association flooding, hijacking, and authentication bypass
M3UA (MTP3 User Adaptation)
Adaptation layer for SS7 MTP3 services
Susceptible to message spoofing and routing manipulation
Signaling Gateway (SG)
Interface between SS7 and IP networks
Critical boundary that can be exploited for cross-domain attacks
Application Server Process (ASP)
Endpoint for SIGTRAN signaling
Vulnerable to impersonation and state manipulation attacks
Common SIGTRAN Attack Vectors
Key Techniques:
- Basic Association Flooding
- SCTP INIT Flooding with Cookie Manipulation
Key Techniques:
- Routing Key Manipulation
- ASP State Manipulation
- + 1 more techniques
SIGTRAN Security Architecture
Comprehensive view of SIGTRAN network architecture and security controls
SIGTRAN Exploitation Techniques
Prerequisites:
- Network access to the target SIGTRAN infrastructure
- Python with SCTP libraries
- Understanding of SIGTRAN protocols
Detection Indicators:
- Multiple SCTP connection attempts from the same source
- Connection attempts to common SIGTRAN ports (2904-2906, 3868)
- Short-lived SCTP associations from unexpected sources
Related Security Topics
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