It turns out that our mobile networks may not be so secure after all.
The 4G LTE standard has vulnerabilities that could allow a hacker to intercept data being transmitted over networks. Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have discovered 51 vulnerabilities with the 4G LTE standard – this includes 15 known issues and 36 new and previously undiscovered flaws with the standard.
Because of the vulnerabilities, an attacker could disconnect the user from the network —which would initially just look like a call—then eavesdrop on conversations and also access and manipulate the data being transferred. The researchers plan to present their findings at the IEEE Symposium in May.
LTEFuzz successfully exposed 15 previously identified vulnerabilities and 36 new vulnerabilities. The findings were categorized into five vulnerability types.
Various attacks that can be used to deny various LTE services, send phishing emails , and intercept/manipulate data traffic were also presented. An analysis of the causes of the problems was performed, reviewing the relevant model and interviewing carrier partners.
LTE is the standard used by mobile carriers in many countries and is commonly known as 4G. The researchers say they will share the LTEFuzz tool with mobile carriers and hardware manufacturers, including Qualcomm.
