Victim-Aggressor Verification for Secure Remote Interference Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems are vulnerable to malicious nodes masquerading as victims, leading to unnecessary remote interference mitigation schemes that degrade network performance.

Innovation Solution

A central entity verifies legitimate victim-aggressor pairs by checking the reports from gNBs, ensuring that only legitimate gNBs trigger remote interference mitigation, thereby preventing malicious nodes from triggering unnecessary mitigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If remote interference mitigation is triggered based on victim reference signal detection, then interference protection is improved, but network security deteriorates due to vulnerability to masquerade attacks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference protectionVSAvoidmasquerade attack vulnerability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a central entity (OAM) as an intermediary between victim and aggressor gNBs. This intermediary verifies the legitimacy of detected victim reference signals by checking against a whitelist of authorized gNB identifiers, preventing malicious nodes from triggering false mitigation while allowing legitimate interference protection to proceed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the central entity receives detection reports from victim gNBs, verifies their legitimacy, and provides confirmation or rejection feedback. This feedback loop ensures that only verified legitimate detections trigger mitigation, creating a closed-loop security verification system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Object-affected harmful factors

If verification of victim-aggressor pairs is implemented, then network security is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemalicious attack preventionVSAvoidverification system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses identifier copying and matching - the central entity maintains a whitelist of authorized gNB identifiers and compares detected identifiers against this copy. This simple copy-and-compare approach provides verification without requiring complex authentication protocols or additional hardware

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The central entity performs multiple functions including interference coordination, verification, and management using a single unified platform. This multi-functionality avoids the need for separate dedicated verification systems, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining security

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3903519B1Apparatus and method for protecting against victim masquerade attack in remote interference management
Publication Date: 2025.07.09 APPLE INC
  • EP3903519B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3903519B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3903519B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments verifying legitimate victim-aggressor pairs in remote interference management operation. In an embodiment, a first even report is generated by a victim base station based detection of an atmospheric duct and it transmits a victim reference signal with the first event report. The first event report includes an ID of the victim base station. An aggressor base station is triggered to begin monitoring for transmission of the victim reference signal. The aggressor base station sends a second event report if it detects the victim reference signal. The central entity tries to verify that the victim and aggressor are legitimate. If the verification passes, then the central entity sends a message to the aggressor to start of remote interference mitigation. If verification fails, the remote interference mitigation is not triggered and the victim reference signal is ignored.