Base Station (BS)

Base Station (BS) in context

The radio access network is where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations and downgrade attacks; defenses rest on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

The mobile core carries subscriber sessions, mobility and policy. In 4G it is the EPC (MME, HSS, S/PGW); in 5G it is the Service-Based Architecture with AMF, SMF, UPF, AUSF, UDM and the NRF.

To place Base Station (BS) in the wider telecom-security picture, review GSM, Mobile Network, User Plane Security, BTS, Femtocell and LTE: each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

• GSM
• Mobile Network
• User Plane Security
• BTS
• Femtocell
• LTE
• Service-Based Architecture (SBA) Security
• 5G SA

Related topic hubs

• Diameter Attacks S6a IDR/PUR/CLR abuse, subscriber tracking, LTE signaling attacks.
• 5G Penetration Testing Pentesting the 5G core, SBA, SEPP, and gNB interfaces.
• LTE Security Training Training on 4G/LTE core, Diameter, NAS and RRC security.
• SS7 Security SS7/MAP/CAP/SCCP attacks and defenses across 2G/3G interconnect.

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.