IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,863,353
Granted Patent B2
US 10,863,353 · App. 16/420,981 · Granted Dec 8, 2020

Method and arrangement for detecting subscriber identity

Inventors: Timo Ainali (Oulu, FI); Jorma Ikäheimo (Oulu, FI); Tuure Mäkelä (Oulu, FI); Taisto Niiranen (Ii, FI)
Assignee: EXFO OY
H04W12/0602H04W8/20H04W12/001H04W12/004H04W12/00514
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,863,353
App. No.
16/420,981
Granted
Dec 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Method and arrangement for detecting subscriber identity. The method includes: capturing in a fake base station at least one wireless message transmitted from a mobile subscriber apparatus interoperable with a mobile phone system; detecting an encrypted subscriber identity from the at least one captured wireless message; and retrieving an unencrypted subscriber identity from an entity inside an infrastructure of the mobile phone system based on the encrypted subscriber identity.

Claims (28)

1. A method comprising:

capturing in a fake base station at least one wireless message that has been transmitted from a mobile subscriber apparatus interoperable with a mobile phone system;

detecting, by the fake base station, an encrypted subscriber identity from the at least one captured wireless message; and

retrieving, by the fake base station, an unencrypted subscriber identity from an entity inside an infrastructure of the mobile phone system based on the encrypted subscriber identity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted subscriber identity has been encrypted with a public-key cryptography.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the entity communicates with a system element of the mobile phone system possessing a private key of the public-key cryptography for decrypting the encrypted subscriber identity.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system element belongs to a service-based core architecture of the mobile phone system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted subscriber identity comprises:

a Subscription Concealed Identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unencrypted subscriber identity comprises:

a Subscription Permanent Identifier.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile phone system comprises:

a fifth generation wireless system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fake base station communicates with the entity via an encrypted communication channel to retrieve the unencrypted subscriber identity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entity is permitted to operate within the infrastructure of the mobile phone system to communicate with the fake base station to transmit the unencrypted subscriber identity to the fake base station.

10. An arrangement comprising:

a fake base station, and an entity inside an infrastructure of a mobile phone system, wherein:

the fake base station includes one or more processing units and one or more radio transceivers configured to capture at least one wireless message from a mobile subscriber apparatus, to detect an encrypted subscriber identity from the at least one captured wireless message, and to transmit the encrypted subscriber identity to the entity; and

the entity includes one or more processing units and one or more communication interfaces configured to receive the encrypted subscriber identity from the fake base station, to retrieve an unencrypted subscriber identity from a network element of the mobile phone system based on the encrypted subscriber identity, and to transmit the unencrypted subscriber identity to the fake base station.

11. The arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the encrypted subscriber identity has been encrypted with a public-key cryptography.

12. The arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the entity is configured to communicate with the system element of the mobile phone system possessing a private key of the public-key cryptography for decrypting the encrypted subscriber identity.

13. The arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the system element belongs to a service-based core architecture of the mobile phone system.

14. The arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the encrypted subscriber identity comprises:

a Subscription Concealed Identifier.

15. The arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the unencrypted subscriber identity comprises:

a Subscription Permanent Identifier.

16. The arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the mobile phone system comprises:

a fifth generation wireless system.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2019
From: AINALI, TIMO; IKÄHEIMO, JORMA; MÄKELÄ, TUURE; NIIRANEN, TAISTO
To: EXFO OY
Reel/Frame 049271/0424 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 18173821 · May 23, 2018 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190364430A1 · Nov 28, 2019
Cited By (2)
US 12,328,588 US 12,457,488