UE Capability Report Security via AS Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, the radio access capability of User Equipment (UE) is vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks due to the lack of encryption and integrity assurance during capability reporting, leading to decreased performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing Access Stratum (AS) security between the User Equipment and the base station to ensure that UE capability reports are transmitted only after AS security is activated, thereby enhancing security measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If UE capability report is transmitted without AS security activation, then transmission can proceed earlier in the connection establishment process, but the report becomes vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks and tampering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by activating AS security (encryption and integrity protection) before transmitting the UE capability report. The base station sends security activation commands and establishes cryptographic context prior to the capability reporting phase, ensuring that when the report is transmitted, security measures are already in place to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and tampering.
2Reliability
If AS security is activated before capability report transmission, then security and integrity of the report are ensured, but the connection establishment process takes longer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic sequencing of procedures based on security requirements. Instead of a fixed sequence, the system dynamically adjusts the order of operations to activate AS security at the optimal moment - early enough to protect the capability report but efficiently to minimize delay. The base station manages the timing of security activation relative to capability reporting based on network security policies and current connection establishment state.
Data Source
AI summary
A user equipment includes a receiving unit configured to receive, from a base station apparatus, information for requesting a report of a User Equipment (UE) capability, a control unit configured to generate the report including a supported UE capability, and a transmitting unit configured to, in a case where an Access Stratum (AS) security with the base station apparatus is activated, transmit the report to the base station apparatus.