Attack Surface Mapping

The process of identifying and documenting all potential entry points, interfaces, and vulnerabilities in telecom networks. Comprehensive mapping requires reviewing architecture documentation, network topology, and protocol specifications.

Categories: SignalingThreats and AttacksProtocols and Standards

Attack Surface Mapping in context

Signaling protocols carry the control-plane instructions that set up calls, register subscribers, hand over sessions and route SMS. SS7, Diameter, GTP-C and SIP are the four dominant families, and interconnect exposure of any of them is treated by GSMA FS.11 / FS.19 / FS.20 as a top-tier telecom risk.

Telecom threats range from opportunistic SMS phishing and SIM swap to nation-state grade location tracking and lawful-interception abuse. The common thread is that most attacks exploit the inherited trust model of legacy signaling. SS7 and Diameter were designed for a closed operator community that no longer exists.

To place Attack Surface Mapping in the wider telecom-security picture, review Anomaly Detection, Denial of Service (DoS), Traffic Baselining, ZIP, DDoS and Lawful Intercept.

Related terms

Related topic hubs

  • SS7 Security SS7/MAP/CAP/SCCP attacks and defenses across 2G/3G interconnect.
  • SS7 Firewall GSMA FS.11 category 1/2/3 SS7 message screening at the STP edge.
  • Diameter Attacks S6a IDR/PUR/CLR abuse, subscriber tracking, LTE signaling attacks.
  • SMS Firewall SMS spam, phishing, A2P bypass and MAP-layer SMS filtering.

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