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Work item:
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XSTR.sa-ran (ex TR.sa-ran)
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Subject/title:
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Security Attacks in Radio Access Networks
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Status:
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Agreed on 2026-06-10 [Issued from previous study period]
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Approval process:
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Agreement
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Type of work item:
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Technical report
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Version:
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New
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Equivalent number:
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-
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Timing:
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-
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Liaison:
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3GPP SA3, GSMA FASG, ITU-R WP 5D
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Supporting members:
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Brazil, Canada, ZTE Corporation (China)
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Summary:
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Novel IMT-2020 (a.k.a “5G”) networks are rapidly transforming various aspects of society, providing significantly faster data speeds and lower latency. New opportunities are arising, such as telemedicine, autonomous vehicles, automated industry, and smart cities, where real-time data transmission addresses their implementation issues. IMT-2020 networks enable more connected devices, which can be a game changer for applications like manufacturing industry, agriculture, and healthcare. Furthermore, IMT-2020 provides stable and high-speed internet connections, making viable online learning and remote working, to name a few, and potentially bridging the digital divide by providing high-speed Internet to rural and underserved areas and improving response times and coordination during disasters by providing enhanced communication networks for emergency services.
However, with these opportunities, challenges come to light, especially cybersecurity issues. With more devices connected, the cyberattack surface increases. IMT-2020 devices, in particular, can be vulnerable if not properly secured. The integration of IMT-2020 infrastructure, including previous generation networks, involves components from various suppliers, which can introduce risks if some part of the supply chain is compromised. Data privacy and the potential for unauthorized access can be a concern due to the vast amount of data transmitted over IMT-2020 networks, which can be targeted for attacks that can impact from personal communications to the critical infrastructure. So, IMT-2020 is potentially a game-changer, but it's essential to address cybersecurity risks to realize its potential fully.
This Technical Report focuses on common security attacks that may threaten radio access networks (RANs) and connected user equipment (UE). It describes attacks commonly observed or anticipated in RAN scenarios. For each attack, this report provides a brief description, identifies relevant vulnerability classes and example weaknesses, maps the attack to applicable threats, and identifies related security dimensions according to Recommendation ITU-T X.805.
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Comment:
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-
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Reference(s):
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Historic references:
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Contact(s):
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| ITU-T A.5 justification(s): |
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First registration in the WP:
2024-09-12 17:26:26
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Last update:
2026-09-01 10:22:09
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