CAPEC-606 Metadata
Likelihood of Attack
Medium
Typical Severity
High
Overview
Summary
An attacker, with control of a Cellular Rogue Base Station or through cooperation with a Malicious Mobile Network Operator can force the mobile device (e.g., the retransmission device) to use no encryption (A5/0 mode) or to use easily breakable encryption (A5/1 or A5/2 mode).
Prerequisites
Cellular devices that allow negotiating security modes to facilitate backwards compatibility and roaming on legacy networks.
Potential Solutions / Mitigations
Use of hardened baseband firmware on retransmission device to detect and prevent the use of weak cellular encryption. Monitor cellular RF interface to detect the usage of weaker-than-expected cellular encryption.
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-757 | Selection of Less-Secure Algorithm During Negotiation ('Algorithm Downgrade') |
Related CAPECs
| CAPEC ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CAPEC-620 | An attacker forces the encryption level to be lowered, thus enabling a successful attack against the encrypted data. |
Stay Ahead of Attack Patterns
Understanding CAPEC patterns helps security professionals anticipate and thwart potential attacks. Leverage these insights to enhance threat modeling, strengthen your software development lifecycle, and train your security teams effectively.