Air Interface Protocol Fuzzing for 5G Base Station Vulnerability Mining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air interface protocol tests primarily focus on functional and performance aspects, making it difficult to detect deeper and wider security vulnerabilities, especially in undefined test scenarios, which compromises the security of information transmission between user equipment and 5G base stations.
Innovation Solution
A mobile terminal with an open bottom layer interface is used to generate and apply mutation data to service messages, modify them, and send these modified messages to a base station for real-time monitoring, enabling the recording of security vulnerability logs and enhancing fuzz testing capabilities to uncover deeper security issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional process replay fuzz testing is used for air interface protocol, then fixed test scenarios can be covered, but security vulnerabilities in undefined test scenarios cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying multiple protocol parameters simultaneously (e.g., message length, data format, protocol state) rather than testing fixed scenarios. This enables the fuzz testing to cover both defined and undefined test scenarios, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic fuzz testing by automatically generating and adapting test cases based on real-time protocol state analysis, rather than using static process replay. This dynamic approach allows the testing to adapt to undefined scenarios while maintaining coverage of defined scenarios, thus resolving the contradiction.
2Reliability
If focus is placed on functional and performance tests, then normal use functions can be verified, but deeper security vulnerabilities cannot be uncovered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the testing process into distinct phases: protocol state analysis, mutation data generation, and vulnerability detection. This segmentation allows the complex security testing to be systematically implemented while maintaining focus on uncovering deep vulnerabilities, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary protocol state analysis and message structure parsing before generating mutation data. This preliminary action enables the system to understand the protocol context and generate meaningful security test cases, making the complex testing methodology more effective and systematic.
3Ease of operation
If encrypted authentication process is reused in business process, then authentication can be streamlined, but security problems in business execution cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary fuzz testing layer that operates between the encrypted authentication process and the business execution. This intermediary generates mutation data to test the business execution path separately, allowing both streamlined authentication and thorough security testing of business logic, thus resolving the contradiction.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of communication transmission security, and in particular, to a method and a device for mining a security vulnerability of an air interface protocol, and a mobile terminal. The method for mining the security vulnerability of the air interface protocol includes: obtaining mutation data, the mutation data being generated according to a fuzzing task; obtaining a service message of the air interface protocol; modifying the service message according to the mutation data; sending the modified service message to a base station; and monitoring a state of the base station, and recording a security vulnerability log according to the state of the base station.