Isolating False Base Stations via Inter-Base Station Link Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G communication systems face challenges in effectively isolating and preventing false base stations operated by malicious actors, which can compromise user equipment security by allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves user equipment actively sending measurement reports to a serving base station, which identifies and removes potentially false base stations from consideration for handover procedures by initiating an inter-base station link setup and maintaining a blacklist of failed link attempts, thereby preventing active attacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user equipment continuously monitors and reports all base stations for handover decisions, then handover reliability is improved, but network security is compromised by false base stations
Solution Approach 1:
The serving base station performs preliminary verification by attempting to establish an inter-base station link with each reported base station before the user equipment completes handover. This preliminary action identifies false base stations in advance, allowing the network to prevent handover to malicious nodes while maintaining reliable handover to legitimate base stations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the network verifies each base station through inter-base station link setup, then security against false base stations is improved, but handover procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary verification mechanism where the serving base station acts as a mediator between the user equipment and the target base station. By requiring the serving base station to first establish a link with the target base station before authorizing handover, the system adds a security layer without requiring the user equipment to perform complex verification procedures itself.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If false base stations are identified and removed from consideration, then network security is improved, but user equipment may lose available connection options
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the serving base station receives measurement reports from user equipment about neighboring base stations, verifies each one through link setup attempts, and provides feedback by updating the user equipment's neighbor cell list. This feedback loop ensures that only verified legitimate base stations remain as handover options, preventing false base stations from compromising security while maintaining valid connection alternatives.
Data Source
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AI summary
A measurement report is sent from user equipment in a communication system to a serving base station in a serving cell of the communication system, wherein the measurement report comprises one or more signal measurements obtained by the user equipment for one or more other base stations in the communication system. A base station removal list is received at the user equipment from the serving base station which lists any base stations from the measurement report that failed a set-up procedure and are thus potentially false base stations. Any base stations in the base station removal list are removed from consideration by the user equipment as a target base station for a handover procedure.