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July 2, 2018 11:45 pm

Newer Diameter Telephony Protocol Just As Vulnerable As SS7

An anonymous reader writes: Security researchers say the Diameter protocol used with today's 4G (LTE) telephony and data transfer standard is vulnerable to the same types of vulnerabilities as the older SS7 standard used with older telephony standards such as 3G, 2G, and earlier. The vulnerabilities are happening because 4G operators are misconfiguring the Diameter protocol (a SS7 replacement) and using it in the same way as SS7. The incorrect use of Diameter leads to the presence of several vulnerabilities in 4G networks that resemble the ones found in older networks that use SS7, and which Diameter was supposed to prevent. Researchers say that the Diameter misconfigurations they've spotted inside 4G networks are in many cases unique per each network but they usually repeat themselves to have them organized in five classes of attacks: (1) subscriber information disclosure, (2) network information disclosure, (3) subscriber traffic interception, (4) fraud, and (5) denial of service. Researchers warn that not fixing these vulnerabilities "could lead to sudden failure of ATMs, payment terminals, utility meters, car alarms, and video surveillance." This is because these types of devices often use 4G SIM card modules to connect to their servers when located in a remote area where classic Internet connections are not possible. Old SS7 attacks such as tracking users' location and intercepting SMS and phone calls are also possible via Diameter as well.

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