Wireless communications
A method for operating a User Equipment (UE) is disclosed, wherein the UE is served by a source first network function in a first network and requires to register with a target second network function in a second network. The method comprises generating a registration request with integrity protection for at least a part of the registration request ( 1200 ), and sending an integrity protected part of the registration request to the source first network function via the target second network function ( 1202 ). Also disclosed are methods of operating first and second network functions.
1. A method performed by a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:
the UE generating a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message;
the UE generating a message authentication code (MAC) using the TAU message and a security context shared with a source network function in a first network, wherein the MAC enables the source network function to verify the integrity of the TAU message;
the UE generating a registration request message with integrity protection for at least a part of the registration request message; and
the UE sending the registration request message to the source network function in the first network via a target network function in a second network, wherein the UE is served by the source network function, wherein
the step of generating the registration request message with integrity protection for at least a part of the registration request message comprises including in the registration request message: i) the TAU message and ii) the MAC, and
the registration request message further comprises a temporary identifier that enables the target network function to identify the source network function.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source network function is a Mobility Management Entity (MME) function.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target network function is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) function.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source network function is a Mobility Management Entity (MME) function, and an integrity protected part of the registration request is an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target network function is an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) function, and the registration request is a 5G Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message.
6. A User Equipment (UE), the UE comprising:
memory; and
processing circuitry coupled to the memory, wherein the UE is configured to perform a method comprising:
generating a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message;
generating a message authentication code (MAC) using the TAU message and a security context shared with a source network function in a first network, wherein the MAC enables the source network function to verify the integrity of the TAU message;
generating a registration request message with integrity protection for at least a part of the registration request message; and
sending the registration message to the source network function in the first network via a target network function in a second network, wherein the UE is served by the source network function, wherein
the step of generating the registration request message with integrity protection for at least a part of the registration request message comprises including in the registration request message: i) the TAU message and the MAC, and
the registration request message further comprises a temporary identifier that enables the target network function to identify the source network function.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein including the MAC in the registration request message comprises including the MAC in the TAU message.
8. The UE of claim 6 , wherein the MAC is included in the TAU message.