False base station detection
A user equipment (“UE”) in a wireless communication network can receive a plurality of signals from a plurality of nodes. The UE can further determine a plurality of radio signal strength measurements. Each radio signal strength measurement can be associated with a signal of the plurality of signals received from the plurality of nodes. The UE can further determine whether there is an indication that a first node of the plurality of nodes may be an imposter node based on the plurality of radio signal strength measurements.
1. A method of operating a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of nodes, comprising receiving the plurality of signals from at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes, the at least two nodes having a common identifier;
determining a plurality of radio signal strength measurements, each radio signal strength measurement being associated with a signal of the plurality of signals received from the plurality of nodes, comprising determining a subset of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements in which each radio signal strength measurement of the subset of radio signal strength measurements are associated with a signal of the plurality of signals received from the at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes that have the common identifier; and
determining whether there is an indication that a first node of the plurality of nodes may be an imposter node based on the plurality of radio signal strength measurements, comprising comparing different radio signal strength measurements of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements that are associated with the common identifier, comprising:
determining a standard deviation between the different radio signal strength measurements of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements associated with the common identifier; and
determining whether there is an indication that one of the nodes of the plurality of nodes that is associated with the common identifier may be an imposter node based on whether the standard deviation exceeds a threshold value,
wherein the threshold value is calculated based on mobility related data of the UE.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of radio signal strength measurements comprises:
measuring the plurality of radio signal strength measurements over a period of time; and
determining an identifier of each of the plurality of nodes to which each radio signal strength measurement is associated.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the different radio signal strength measurements of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements that are associated with the common identifier further comprises:
receiving the threshold value from a network node of the wireless communication network.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a plurality of base stations,
wherein the imposter node comprises a false base station,
wherein the wireless communication network comprises a 5 th Generation wireless communication network,
wherein the identifier is a physical cell identifier (PCI) and
wherein the network node is a core network (CN) node.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of nodes comprises a plurality of base stations,
wherein the imposter node comprises a false base station,
wherein the wireless communication network comprises a 5 th Generation wireless communication network,
wherein the identifier is a physical cell identifier (PCI) and
wherein the network node is a radio access network (RAN) node.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of radio signal strength measurements comprises at least one of:
measuring a plurality of reference signal received powers (RSRPs) between the UE and the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network; and
measuring a plurality of reference signal received qualities (RSRQs) between the UE and the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that there is an indication that the first node of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network may be an imposter node based on the plurality of radio signal strength measurements, transmitting data to a network node of the wireless communication network, the data informing the network node of the indication that the first node is the imposter node.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that there is an indication that the first node of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network may be an imposter node based on the plurality of radio signal strength measurements, transmitting data to the network node of the wireless communication network, the data comprising a portion of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements that are associated with the at least two nodes having the common identifier.
9. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the plurality of radio signal strength measurements comprises determining each radio signal strength measurement of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements based on an unfiltered version of the signal of the plurality of signals,
the method further comprising:
responsive to determining that there is not an indication that the first node of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network may be an imposter node based on the plurality of radio signal strength measurements, recording at least a portion of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements;
filtering the plurality of radio signal strength measurements to generate filtered information; and
transmitting the filtered information to a network node of the wireless communication network.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request from a network node of the wireless communication network to determine the plurality of radio signal strength measurements associated with received signals that are associated with the common identifier,
wherein determining the plurality of radio signal strength measurements is in response to receiving the request.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the request from the network node of the wireless communication network to determine the plurality of radio signal strength measurements comprises receiving a request from the network node of the wireless communication network to limit movement of the UE while receiving the plurality of signals from the plurality of nodes.
12. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network, the UE comprising:
processing circuitry; and
memory coupled to the processing circuitry and having instructions stored therein that are executable by the processing circuitry to cause the UE to perform operations comprising:
receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of nodes, comprising receiving the plurality of signals from at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes, the at least two nodes having a common identifier;
determining a plurality of radio signal strength measurements, each radio signal strength measurement being associated with a signal of the plurality of signals received from the plurality of nodes, comprising determining a subset of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements in which each radio signal strength measurement of the subset of radio signal strength measurements are associated with a signal of the plurality of signals received from the at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes that have the common identifier; and
determining whether there is an indication that a first node of the plurality of nodes may be an imposter node based on the plurality of radio signal strength measurements, comprising comparing different radio signal strength measurements of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements that are associated with the common identifier, comprising:
determining a standard deviation between the different radio signal strength measurements of the plurality of radio signal strength measurements associated with the common identifier; and
determining whether there is an indication that one of the nodes of the plurality of nodes that is associated with the common identifier may be an imposter node based on whether the standard deviation exceeds a threshold value,
wherein the threshold value is calculated based on mobility related data of the UE.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is further calculated based on a radio environment of the UE.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobility related data comprises inertial sensor data.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobility related data comprises location data.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the UE moves faster the threshold value is higher than when the UE moves slower.
17. The User Equipment of claim 12 , wherein the threshold value is further calculated based on a radio environment of the UE.
18. The User Equipment of claim 12 , wherein the mobility related data comprises inertial sensor data.
19. The User Equipment of claim 12 , wherein the mobility related data comprises location data.
20. The User Equipment of claim 12 , wherein when the UE moves faster the threshold value is higher than when the UE moves slower.