GSM and UMTS Security

Contents
Introduction to mobile telecommunications Second generation systems - GSM security Third generation systems - UMTS security

Focus is on security features for network access

Introduction to Mobile Telecommunications

Cellular radio network architecture Location management Call establishment and handover

Cellular Radio Network Architecture

Radio base stations form a patchwork of radio cells over a given geographic coverage area Radio base stations are connected to switching centres via fixed or microwave transmission links Switching centres are connected to the public networks (fixed telephone network, other GSM networks, Internet, etc.) Mobile terminals have a relationship with one home network but may be allowed to roam in other visited networks when outside the home network coverage area

Cellular Radio Network Architecture

Roaming Radio base station Switching and routing Home network

Interconnect

Other Networks (GSM, fixed, Internet, etc.)

Visited network

Location Management
The network must know a mobiles location so that incoming calls can be routed to the correct destination When a mobile is switched on, it registers its current location in a Home Location Register (HLR) operated by the mobiles home operator A mobile is always roaming, either in the home operators own network or in another network where a roaming agreement exists with the home operator When a mobile registers in a network, information is retrieved from the HLR and stored in a Visitor Location Register (VLR) associated with the local switching centre

Location Management
VLR Roaming Radio base station Switching and routing Home network HLR

Interconnect

Other Networks (GSM, fixed, Internet, etc.) Visited network

Call Establishment and Handover

For mobile originating (outgoing) calls, the mobile establishes a radio connection with a nearby base station which routes the call to a switching centre For mobile terminated (incoming) calls, the network first tries to contact the mobile by paging it across its current location area, the mobile responds by initiating the establishment of a radio connection If the mobile moves, the radio connection may be reestablished with a different base station without any interruption to user communication this is called handover

First Generation Mobile Phones

First generation analogue phones (1980 onwards) were horribly insecure Cloning: your phone just announced its identity in clear over the radio link
easy for me to pick up your phones identity over the air easy for me to reprogram my phone with your phones identity then all my calls are charged to your bill

Eavesdropping
all you have to do is tune a radio receiver until you can hear someone talking

Second Generation Mobile Phones The GSM Standard

Second generation mobile phones are characterised by the fact that data transmission over the radio link uses digital techniques Development of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) standard began in 1982 First services launched in 1991 GSM is the technology that underpins most of the world's mobile phone networks
1.5 billion customers 77% of the world market over 210 countries

source: GSM Association, September 2005

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

The original GSM system was based on circuit-switched transmission and switching
voice services over circuit-switched bearers text messaging circuit-switched data services
charges usually based on duration of connection

GPRS is the packet-switched extension to GSM

sometimes referred to as 2.5G packet-switched data services
suited to bursty traffic charges usually based on data volume or content-based

Typical data services

browsing, messaging, download, corporate LAN access

Third Generation Mobile Phones The UMTS Standard

Third generation (3G) mobile phones are characterised by higher rates of data transmission and a richer range of services Two main standards in use today
UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) CDMA2000

UMTS is the one that belongs to the GSM family UMTS uses a radio technology called Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) which is connected to an evolution of the GSM/GPRS core network UMTS statistics
over 40 million subscribers at end September 2005 70 networks at end of 2004
source: GSM Association

GSM Security The Goals

GSM was intended to be no more vulnerable to cloning or eavesdropping than a fixed phone
its a phone not a secure communications device

GSM uses integrated cryptographic mechanisms to achieve these goals

just about the first mass market equipment to do this previously cryptography had been the domain of the military, security agencies, and businesses worried about industrial espionage, and then banks (but not in mass market equipment)

GSM Security Features

Authentication
network operator can verify the identity of the subscriber making it infeasible to clone someone elses mobile phone

Confidentiality
protects voice, data and sensitive signalling information (e.g. dialled digits) against eavesdropping on the radio path

Anonymity
protects against someone tracking the location of the user or identifying calls made to or from the user by eavesdropping on the radio path

GSM Security Mechanisms

Authentication
challenge-response authentication protocol encryption of the radio channel

Confidentiality
encryption of the radio channel

Anonymity
use of temporary identities

GSM Security Architecture

Each mobile subscriber is issued with a unique 128-bit secret key (Ki) This is stored on a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) which must be inserted into the mobile phone Each subscribers Ki is also stored in an Authentication Centre (AuC) associated with the HLR in the home network The SIM is a tamper resistant smart card designed to make it infeasible to extract the customers Ki GSM security relies on the secrecy of Ki
if the Ki could be extracted then the subscription could be cloned and the subscribers calls could be eavesdropped even the customer should not be able to obtain Ki

GSM Security Architecture

VLR HLR/AuC Switching and routing Home network

SIM

Other Networks (GSM, fixed, Internet, etc.) Visited network

GSM Authentication Principles

Network authenticates the SIM to protect against cloning Challenge-response protocol
SIM demonstrates knowledge of Ki infeasible for an intruder to obtain information about Ki which could be used to clone the SIM

Encryption key agreement

a key (Kc) for radio interface encryption is derived as part of the protocol

Authentication can be performed at call establishment allowing a new Kc to be used for each call

GSM Authentication
(1) Distribution of authentication data (2) Authentication
MSC HLR AuC

MSC circuit switched services

SIM ME BTS BSC SGSN

SGSN packet switched services (GPRS)

Home Network

Mobile Station (MS)

Visited Access Network

Visited Core Network

GSM Authentication: Prerequisites

Authentication centre in home network (AuC) and security module (SIM) inserted into mobile phone share
subscriber specific secret key, Ki authentication algorithm consisting of
authentication function, A3 key generating function, A8

AuC has a random number generator

Entities Involved in GSM Authentication

SIM MSC SGSN services) HLR/AuC Centre Subscriber Identity Module Mobile Switching Centre (circuit services) Serving GPRS Support Node (packet Home Location Register / Authentication

GSM Authentication Protocol

SIM MSC or SGSN HLR/AuC
RAND Ki
A3 A8

Authentication Data Request {RAND, XRES, Kc}

RAND Ki
A3 A8

XRES Kc

RAND

RES Kc

RES

RES = XRES?

GSM Authentication Parameters

Ki = Subscriber authentication key (128 bit) RAND = Authentication challenge (128 bit) (X)RES = A3Ki (RAND) = (Expected) authentication response (32 bit) Kc = A8Ki (RAND) = Cipher key (64 bit) Authentication triplet = {RAND, XRES, Kc} (224 bit)
Typically sent in batches to MSC or SGSN

GSM Authentication Algorithm

Composed of two algorithms which are often combined
A3 for user authentication A8 for encryption key (Kc) generation

Located in the customers SIM and in the home networks AuC Standardisation of A3/A8 not required and each operator can choose their own

GSM Encryption
Different mechanisms for GSM (circuit-switched services) and GPRS (packet-switched services)

GSM Encryption Principles (circuit-switched services)

Data on the radio path is encrypted between the Mobile Equipment (ME) and the Base Transceiver Station (BTS)
protects user traffic and sensitive signalling data against eavesdropping extends the influence of authentication to the entire duration of the call

Uses the encryption key (Kc) derived during authentication

Encryption Mechanism
Encryption is performed by applying a stream cipher called A5 to the GSM TDMA frames, the choice being influenced by
speech coder error propagation delay handover

Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

User 1 User 2

Frames Time Slots

N-1 4 1

Frame N 2 User 2 3 4 1

Frame N+1 2 User 1 3 4 1

Encryption Function
For each TDMA frame, A5 generates consecutive sequences of 114 bits for encrypting/decrypting in the transmit/receive time slots
encryption and decryption is performed by applying the 114 bit keystream sequences to the contents of each frame using a bitwise XOR operation

A5 generates the keystream as a function of the cipher key and the frame number - so the cipher is re-synchronised to every frame The TDMA frame number repeats after about 3.5 hours, hence the keystream starts to repeat after 3.5 hours
new cipher keys can be established to avoid keystream repeat

Managing the Encryption

BTS instructs ME to start ciphering using the cipher command At same time BTS starts decrypting ME starts encrypting and decrypting when it receives the cipher command BTS starts encrypting when cipher command is acknowledged

Strength of the Encryption

Cipher key (Kc) 64 bits long but 10 bits are typically forced to zero in SIM and AuC
54 bits effective key length

Full length 64 bit key now possible The strength also depends on which A5 algorithm is used

GSM Encryption Algorithms

Currently defined algorithms are: A5/1, A5/2 and A5/3 The A5 algorithms are standardised so that mobiles and networks can interoperate globally All GSM phones currently support A5/1 and A5/2 Most networks use A5/1, some use A5/2 A5/1 and A5/2 specifications have restricted distribution but the details of the algorithms have been discovered and some cryptanalysis has been published A5/3 is new - expect it to be phased in over the next few years

GPRS Encryption
Differences compared with GSM circuit-switched
Encryption terminated further back in network at SGSN Encryption applied at higher layer in protocol stack
Logical Link Layer (LLC)

New stream cipher with different input/output parameters

GPRS Encryption Algorithm (GEA)

GEA generates the keystream as a function of the cipher key and the LLC frame number - so the cipher is re-synchronised to every LLC frame LLC frame number is very large so keystream repeat is not an issue

GPRS Encryption Algorithms

Currently defined algorithms are: GEA1, GEA2 and GEA3 The GEA algorithms are standardised so that mobiles and networks can interoperate globally GEA1 and GEA2 specifications have restricted distribution GEA3 is new - expect it to be phased in over the next few years

GSM User Identity Confidentiality (1)

User identity confidentiality on the radio access link
temporary identities (TMSIs) are allocated and used instead of permanent identities (IMSIs)

Helps protect against:

tracking a users location obtaining information about a users calling pattern

IMSI: International Mobile Subscriber Identity TMSI: Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity

GSM User Identity Confidentiality (2)

When a user first arrives on a network he uses his IMSI to identify himself When network has switched on encryption it assigns a temporary identity TMSI 1 When the user next accesses the network he uses TMSI 1 to identify himself The network assigns TMSI 2 once an encrypted channel has been established

GSM Radio Access Link Security

(1) Distribution of authentication data (2) Authentication (3) Kc (4a) Protection of the GSM circuit switched access link (ME-BTS)
SIM ME BTS A BSC SGSN MSC HLR AuC

(3a) Kc

MSC circuit switched services SGSN packet switched services (GPRS)

(4b) Protection of the GPRS packet switched access link (ME-SGSN)

Mobile Station (MS) Access Network (GSM BSS) Visited Network

Home Network

Significance of the GSM Security Features

Effectively solved the problem of cloning mobiles to gain unauthorised access Addressed the problem of eavesdropping on the radio path - this was incredibly easy with analogue, but is now much harder with GSM

GSM Security and the Press

Some of the concerns were well founded, others were grossly exaggerated Significance of academic breakthroughs on cryptographic algorithms is often wildly overplayed

Limitations of GSM Security (1)

Security problems in GSM stem by and large from design limitations on what is protected
design only provides access security - communications and signalling in the fixed network portion arent protected design does not address active attacks, whereby network elements may be impersonated design goal was only ever to be as secure as the fixed networks to which GSM systems connect

Limitations of GSM Security (2)

Failure to acknowledge limitations
the terminal is an unsecured environment - so trust in the terminal identity is misplaced disabling encryption does not just remove confidentiality protection it also increases risk of radio channel hijack standards dont address everything - operators must themselves secure the systems that are used to manage subscriber authentication key

Lawful interception only considered as an afterthought

Specific GSM Security Problems (1)

Ill advised use of COMP 128 as the A3/A8 algorithm by some operators
vulnerable to collision attack - key can be determined if the responses to about 160,000 chosen challenges are known
later improved to about 50,000

attack published on Internet in 1998 by Briceno and Goldberg

Specific GSM Security Problems (2)

The GSM cipher A5/1 is becoming vulnerable to
exhaustive search on its key advances in cryptanalysis
time-memory trade-off attacks by Biryukov, Shamir and Wagner (2000) and Barkan, Biham and Keller (2003) statistical attack by Ekdahl and Johansson (2002) and Maximov, Johansson and Babbage (2004)

Specific GSM Security Problems (3)

The GSM cipher A5/2
cryptanalysis
leaked and broken in August 1999 improvements by Barkan, Biham and Keller (2003), including ciphertext only attack

A5/2 now offers virtually no protection against passive eavesdropping A5/2 is now so weak that the cipher key can be discovered in near real time using a very small amount of known plaintext

False Base Station Attacks (1)

IMSI catching
force mobile to reveal its IMSI in clear

Intercepting mobile-originated calls by disabling encryption

encryption controlled by network and user generally unaware if it is not on false base station masquerades as network with encryption switched off calls relayed to called party e.g. via fixed connection cipher indicator on phone helps guard against attack

False Base Station Attacks (2)

Intercepting mobile-originated calls by forcing use of a known cipher key
mobile is unable to check freshness of cipher key attacker obtains valid (RAND, Kc) pair for targets SIM false base station masquerades as network with encryption switched on but forces use of known cipher key by using corresponding RAND in the authentication challenge calls relayed to called party e.g. via fixed connection cipher indicator on phone does not guard against attack, but the need to obtain a valid (RAND, Kc) pair is a significant obstacle for the attacker

False Base Station Attacks (3)

Dynamic cloning attacks
relay authentication messages between target and network, then drop target and hijack the channel
solution: enforce encryption

relay authentication messages, then force mobile to encrypt with A5/2 to discover cipher key using Barkan, Biham and Keller attack, then drop target and hijack the channel
solution: remove A5/2 from new phones

Lessons Learnt from GSM Experience

Security must operate without user assistance, but the user should know it is happening Base user security on smart cards Possibility of an attack is a problem even if attack is unlikely Dont relegate lawful interception to an afterthought - especially as one considers end-to-end security Develop open international standards Use published algorithms, or publish any specially developed algorithms

Third Generation Mobile Phones The UMTS Standard

Principles of UMTS Security

Build on the security of GSM
adopt the security features from GSM that have proved to be needed and that are robust try to ensure compatibility with GSM to ease inter-working and handover

Correct the problems with GSM by addressing security weaknesses Add new security features
to secure new services offered by UMTS to address changes in network architecture

UMTS Network Architecture

VLR HLR/AuC RNC Switching and routing Home network

USIM RNC Visited core network (GSM-based)

Other Networks (GSM, fixed, Internet, etc.)

New radio access network

GSM Security Features to Retain and Enhance in UMTS

Authentication of the user to the network Encryption of user traffic and signalling data over the radio link
new algorithm open design and publication encryption terminates at the radio network controller (RNC)
further back in network compared with GSM

longer key length (128-bit)

User identity confidentiality over the radio access link

same mechanism as GSM

New Security Features for UMTS

Mutual authentication and key agreement
extension of user authentication mechanism provides enhanced protection against false base station attacks by allowing the mobile to authenticate the network

Integrity protection of critical signalling between mobile and radio network controller
provides enhanced protection against false base station attacks by allowing the mobile to check the authenticity of certain signalling messages extends the influence of user authentication when encryption is not applied by allowing the network to check the authenticity of certain signalling messages

UMTS Authentication : Protocol Objectives

Provides authentication of user (USIM) to network and network to user Establishes a cipher key and integrity key Assures user that cipher/integrity keys were not used before Inter-system roaming and handover
compatible with GSM: similar protocol compatible with other 3G systems due to the fact that CDMA2000 has adopted the same authentication protocol

UMTS Authentication : Prerequisites

AuC and USIM share
subscriber specific secret key, K authentication algorithm consisting of
authentication functions, f1, f1*, f2 key generating functions, f3, f4, f5, f5*

AuC has a random number generator AuC has a sequence number generator USIM has a scheme to verify freshness of received sequence numbers

UMTS Authentication
USIM MSC or SGSN
Authentication Data Request RAND,SQNAK || AMF||MAC
Decrypt SQN using f5 Verify MAC using f1 Check SQN freshness
f2-f4

HLR/AuC
AMF SQN RAND

{RAND, XRES, CK, IK, SQNAK||AMF||MAC}

f1-f5

XRES, CK, IK, AK, MAC

RAND

RES

RES = XRES?

RES, CK, IK

UMTS Authentication Parameters

K = Subscriber authentication key (128 bit) RAND = User authentication challenge (128 bit) SQN = Sequence number (48 bit) AMF = Authentication management field (16 bit) MAC = f1K (SQN||RAND||AMF) = Message Authentication Code (64 bit) (X)RES = f2K (RAND) = (Expected) user response (32-128 bit) CK = f3K (RAND) = Cipher key (128 bit) IK = f4K (RAND) = Integrity key (128 bit) AK = f5K (RAND) = Anonymity key (48 bit) AUTN = SQNAK|| AMF||MAC = Authentication Token (128 bit) Authentication quintet = {RAND, XRES, CK, IK, AUTN} (544-640 bit)

UMTS Mutual Authentication Algorithm

Located in the customers USIM and in the home networks AuC Standardisation not required and each operator can choose their own An example algorithm, called MILENAGE, has been made available
open design and evaluation by ETSIs algorithm design group, SAGE open publication of specifications and evaluation reports based on Rijndael which was later selected as the AES

UMTS Encryption Principles

Data on the radio path is encrypted between the Mobile Equipment (ME) and the Radio Network Controller (RNC)
protects user traffic and sensitive signalling data against eavesdropping extends the influence of authentication to the entire duration of the call

Uses the 128-bit encryption key (CK) derived during authentication

UMTS Encryption Mechanism

Encryption applied at MAC or RLC layer of the UMTS radio protocol stack depending on the transmission mode
MAC = Medium Access Control RLC = Radio Link Control

Stream cipher used, UMTS Encryption Algorithm (UEA) UEA generates the keystream as a function of the cipher key, the bearer identity, the direction of the transmission and the frame number - so the cipher is re-synchronised to every MAC/RLC frame The frame number is very large so keystream repeat is not an issue

UMTS Encryption Algorithm

Currently one standardised algorithm: UEA1
located in the customers phone (not the USIM) and in every radio network controller standardised so that mobiles and radio network controllers can interoperate globally based on a mode of operation of a block cipher called KASUMI

UMTS Integrity Protection Principles

Protection of some radio interface signalling
protects against unauthorised modification, insertion and replay of messages applies to security mode establishment and other critical signalling procedures

Helps extend the influence of authentication when encryption is not applied Uses the 128-bit integrity key (IK) derived during authentication Integrity applied at the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of the UMTS radio protocol stack
signalling traffic only

UMTS Integrity Protection Algorithm

Currently one standardised algorithm: UIA1
located in the customers phone (not the USIM) and in every radio network controller standardised so that mobiles and radio network controllers can interoperate globally based on a mode of operation of a block cipher called KASUMI

UMTS Encryption and Integrity Algorithms

Two modes of operation of KASUMI
stream cipher for encryption Message Authentication Code (MAC) algorithm for integrity protection

Open design and evaluation by ETSI SAGE Open publication of specifications and evaluation reports A second set of encryption/integrity algorithms (UEA2 and UIA2) are currently being designed
To be deployed as a back-up in case the Kasumi-based algorithms become compromised in the future

Ciphering And Integrity Algorithm Requirements

Stream cipher f8 and integrity function f9 Suitable for implementation on ME and RNC
low power with low gate-count hardware implementation as well as efficient in software

No export restrictions on terminals, and network equipment exportable under licence in accordance with international regulations

General Approach To Design of UEA1 and UIA1

ETSI SAGE appointed as design authority Both f8 and f9 constructed using a new block cipher called KASUMI as a kernel An existing block cipher MISTY1 was used as a starting point to develop KASUMI
MISTY1 was designed by Mitsubishi MISTY1 was fairly well studied and has some provably secure aspects modifications make it simpler but no less secure

ETSI SAGE is also the design authority for UEA2 and UIA2

UMTS Radio Access Link Security

(1) Distribution of authentication vectors (2) Authentication (3) CK,IK (4) Protection of the access link (ME-RNC) (3) CK, IK
D MSC HLR H AuC

MSC circuit switched services

SGSN

USIM

ME

BTS

RNC

SGSN packet switched services

Home Network

User Equipment

Access Network (UTRAN)

Visited Network

Summary of UMTS Radio Access Link Security

New and enhanced radio access link security features in UMTS
new algorithms open design and publication encryption terminates at the radio network controller mutual authentication and integrity protection of critical signalling procedures to give greater protection against false base station attacks longer key lengths (128-bit)

Mobile System Security Standards

GSM and UMTS are standardised by an organisation called 3GPP
http://www.3gpp.org

Other 3GPP security standards include

Security architecture for IP multimedia sub-system (IMS)
Provides security for services like presence, instant messaging, push to talk, rich call, click to talk, etc.

Security architecture for WLAN inter-working

(U)SIM-based security for WLAN network access

Security architecture for Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS)

Provides secure conditional access to multicast services

Further Reading
3GPP standards, http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/specs/latest
TS 43.020 for GSM security features TS 33.102 for UMTS security features

GSM and UMTS Security