Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Vulnerabilities in UMTS Location Update Procedure and Its Countermeasures

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Communications, Signal Processing, and Systems (CSPS 2017)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering ((LNEE,volume 463))

  • 42 Accesses

Abstract

Mobile communication systems have been developing for decades. Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third-generation mobile cellular system for networks based on the GSM standard. As an evolved technology of GSM, UMTS has adopted a more reliable security mechanism. Integrity protection and mutual authentication were added in UMTS. However we carefully analyzed UMTS location update procedure specifications and uncover several vulnerabilities in UMTS. By sending specific types of LOCATION UPDATING REJECT messages during location update procedure, the rogue base station can deny all services to a target UMTS device. We also present several countermeasures including increasing the rate of TMSI reallocation, rebooting or re-inserting the SIM/USIM card and installing the protection application on UE to resist these vulnerabilities.

Z.-S. Tian, W.-G. Li and Y. Yao—Foundation Item: National Natural Science Foundation of China (61301126); Young Science Research Program of ChongQing University of Posts and Telecommunications (No. A2013-31).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Cattaneo, G., De Maio, G., Faruolo, P., et al.: A review of security attacks on the GSM standard. In: Information and Communication Technology-EurAsia Conference, pp. 507–512. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Song, Y., Zhou, K., Chen, X.: Fake BTS attacks of GSM system on software radio platform. JNW 7(2), 275–281 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  3. ISO/IEC 9798-4: Information Technology; Security Techniques; Entity Authentication Part 4: Mechanisms using a cryptographic check function (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kambourakis, G., Kolias, C., Gritzalis S., et al.: Signaling-oriented DoS attacks in UMTS networks. International Conference on Information Security and Assurance, pp. 280–289. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ricciato, F., Coluccia, A., Dalconzo, A.: A review of DoS attack models for 3G cellular networks from a system-design perspective. Comput. Commun. 33(5), 551–558 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kaaranen, H.: UMTS Networks: Architecture Mobility and Services, pp. 3–10. Wiley, Hoboken (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Koien, G.M.: Entity Authentication and Personal Privacy in Future Cellular Systems, pp. 33–36. River Publishers, Aalborg (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  8. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project. 3GPP TS 25.304 v13.0.0. User Equipment (UE) procedures in idle mode and procedures for cell reselection in connected mode. USA: 3GPP Publications Offices, pp. 18–40 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chongqing Key Lab of Mobile Communications Technology, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, 400065, People’s Republic of China

    Zengshan Tian, Weiguang Li & Yujia Yao

Authors
  1. Zengshan Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Weiguang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yujia Yao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Weiguang Li .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA

    Qilian Liang

  2. College of Electronic and Communication Engineering, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China

    Jiasong Mu

  3. Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China

    Min Jia

  4. College of Electronic and Communication Engineering, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China

    Wei Wang

  5. College of Electronic and Communication Engineering, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China

    Xuhong Feng

  6. College of Electronic and Communication Engineering, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China

    Baoju Zhang

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Tian, Z., Li, W., Yao, Y. (2019). Vulnerabilities in UMTS Location Update Procedure and Its Countermeasures. In: Liang, Q., Mu, J., Jia, M., Wang, W., Feng, X., Zhang, B. (eds) Communications, Signal Processing, and Systems. CSPS 2017. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 463. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6571-2_67

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6571-2_67

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6570-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6571-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation