Adaptive Neighbouring Cell Relations Security via Geolocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Adaptive Neighbouring Cell Relations (ANR) function in LTE systems is vulnerable to security threats, such as Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, where a hostile UE can report fictional physical cell identities, leading to incorrect neighbouring cell relations and increased signalling load, potentially causing dropped connections due to misconfigured handovers.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating geographical position information, such as GPS data, into the X2 SETUP REQUEST message to verify the legitimacy of neighbouring cell relations and implementing a 'blacklisting' mechanism to prevent malicious UEs from suggesting false neighbouring cell relations, thereby enhancing security and reducing unnecessary signalling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the ANR function utilizes information from UEs to configure neighbouring cell relations, then the automation of neighbour relation configuration is improved, but security vulnerabilities increase allowing DoS attacks from hostile UEs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces geographical position information as an intermediary verification element between the UE measurement report and the neighbour relation configuration. The serving base station obtains the geographical position of the reported cell and compares it with the actual position to verify legitimacy, preventing hostile UEs from creating false neighbour relations while maintaining automated configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the serving base station verifies the geographical position of reported neighbour cells and provides confirmation or rejection feedback. This feedback loop ensures that only legitimate neighbour relations are configured, while blocking malicious reports from hostile UEs, thus maintaining security in the automated process
2Reliability
If the ANR function processes all UE measurement reports, then the completeness of neighbour relation discovery is improved, but network signalling load increases due to processing fictional cell identities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary verification by obtaining and checking the geographical position information of reported neighbour cells before processing the full neighbour relation configuration. This preliminary check filters out fictional cell identities early in the process, preventing unnecessary signalling for malicious reports while still allowing legitimate neighbour relations to be discovered and configured
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and verifies the geographical position information from the measurement report as a separate verification step. By taking out this specific verification element, the system can identify and eliminate fictional cell reports without processing them further, thus reducing the signalling load associated with processing malicious reports while maintaining discovery of legitimate neighbours
3Speed
If neighbouring cell relations are configured without geographical verification, then the speed of neighbour relation setup is improved, but connection reliability decreases due to wrong handovers to distant base stations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary geographical verification by obtaining and checking the position of reported neighbour cells before finalizing the neighbour relation configuration. This preliminary check ensures that only geographically valid neighbours are configured, preventing wrong handovers to distant base stations while maintaining fast automated setup of legitimate neighbour relations
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein relate to a method in a first communication device with an adaptive neighboring cell relations function. The first communication device receives (42) a measurement report of a possible neighboring cell candidate of a second communication device from a user equipment camped/connected within a first cell served by the first communication device and determines (44) to set up an inter node connection to the second communication device serving the possible neighboring cell candidate indicated in the received measurement report. The firs communication device then initiates (46) to set up the inter node connection to the second communication device by sending a connection request comprising a geographical position of the first communication device.