Practical 3G / 4G Security and Attacks

Dr. Ravishankar Borgaonkar & Altaf Shaik

Trainer Names: Dr. Ravishankar Borgaonkar & Altaf Shaik
Title: Practical 3G / 4G Security and Attacks
Duration: 3 Days
Dates: 3^rd - 5^th March 2020

Overview

The cellular network plays a major role in providing vital wireless connectivity to today’s digital equipment. However, wireless connectivity also attracts adversaries’ interest to carry out cybersecurity attacks. For example, owning mobile phones and connected cars via exploiting cellular baseband or attacking cellular networks via compromised a base station or mobile device. With upcoming 5G networks, there will be more devices connected with cellular connectivity and the network itself to become national critical infrastructure.

Our intermediate level training gives hands-on training on understanding the potential risks associated with cellular network connectivity. In particular, we begin with the security architecture of 3G and 4G cellular network, software/hardware tools to debug commercial networks and devices, setting up test 3G/4G network platform for communicating with commercial devices, and practical attacks against the cellular networks and devices. The training concludes with 5G security architecture, new security improvements and vulnerabilities with practical examples.

Key Learning Objectives

Introduction to cellular network architecture (3G/4G/5G)
Understanding radio access network security features
Introduction to core network security features
Exploring configurations of commercial cellular networks
Debugging cellular baseband of mobile devices
Creating test 3G/4G network lab for the exploitation
Practical fake base station attacks and techniques
Cellular network attack detection methods
Hands on cellular network setup and exploitation

Who Should Attend

Cellular network engineers and developers
Cellular IoT security researchers and engineers
Connected vehicle security engineers
Network security researchers
Government radio network authorities
Governmental security organizations
Security enthusiastic folks wanted to poke cellular devices and networks! Prerequisite Knowledge
IT security background and with minimal knowledge on wireless communications in general.

Hardware / Software Requirements

Laptop with windows/linux OS and Oracle Virtualbox (Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack) installed. (Link)
USB3 ports and administrator rights REQUIRED on the laptop needed.
3G and 4G supported smartphone/s (Qualcomm based Android phones preferred)
If available a USRP B210 or B200 mini

Agenda – Day 1:

Introduction to cellular networks
Security principles and mechanisms in cellular network
2G network security and weaknesses
Security Improvements in 3G
Debugging 2G/3G cellular devices and networks
Exercise – Finding vulnerabilities in a test and commercial networks

Agenda – Day 2:

Hardware and software tools for security investigations
Debugging cellular IoT/mobile devices and network configurations
Create a test network and virtual mobile device lab for the exploitation
Exercise – Set your own network and test security features

Agenda – Day 3:

4G network architecture and security
Debugging 4G devices and networks
5G network security architecture
5G security weaknesses and risks
Exercise – Debug a test 4G device/li>

Note: Our training complies to local radio laws and regulations, as we use a special type of radio devices. For all lab experiments, we carry out network setup and attacks using special wired connectors and avoid any kind of wireless transmissions.

About the Trainers

Altaf Shaik

Altaf Shaik is a principal security researcher at Kaitiaki Labs and currently pursuing PhD at the Technical University of Berlin. He is experienced in analyzing cellular network technologies from radio to networking protocol layers. His recent renowned research includes low-cost 4G IMSI catchers and security issues in several cellular baseband chipsets.

Dr. Ravishankar Borgaonkar

Dr. Ravishankar Borgaonkar works as a chief scientist at Kaitiaki Labs. He holds a position as a research fellow at University of Oxford and undertakes research in securing next (5th) generation mobile networks. His primary research themes are related to mobile telecommunication and involved security threats. This ranges from 2G/3G/4G network security to end-user device security. He received his PhD in security in telecommunication area at TU Berlin.