RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)

Real Time Streaming Protocol (RFC 7826) controls the delivery of streaming media, pause, play, seek, independently of the transport (typically RTP). It is widely deployed in IP cameras and CCTV, where insecure default deployments have repeatedly enabled mass discovery and exploitation by botnets such as Mirai.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkThreats and AttacksProtocols and Standards

RTSP 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.

Telecom threats range from opportunistic SMS phishing and SIM swap to nation-state grade location tracking. The common thread is that most attacks exploit the inherited trust model of legacy signaling protocols.

To place RTSP in the wider telecom-security picture, review ETSI, Incident Response, Modulation, OT, Telnet and X1 — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

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