December 8, 2023 at 10:25AM
A new set of 5G modem vulnerabilities, collectively known as “5Ghoul,” impact 710 5G smartphone models from Google partners and Apple, as well as routers and USB modems. Discovered by researchers, these vulnerabilities can lead to disruptions and network downgrades, posing a risk to security. Qualcomm and MediaTek have released security bulletins and fixes, but their integration into end-user devices may take time. For now, avoiding 5G usage is the most practical solution.
Based on the meeting notes, I have summarized the key takeaways below:
1. 5Ghoul, a set of 14 vulnerabilities in 5G modems by Qualcomm and MediaTek, has been discovered by university researchers from Singapore. These vulnerabilities impact a significant number of 5G smartphone models, routers, and USB modems.
2. The attacks associated with 5Ghoul range from temporary service disruptions to network downgrades, with potential severe security implications.
3. The vulnerabilities are relatively easy to exploit over-the-air by impersonating a legitimate 5G base station, even without detailed information about the target’s SIM card.
4. The financial cost of executing these attacks is relatively low, requiring only a few thousand USD and readily available equipment and software.
5. Ten of the 5Ghoul vulnerabilities have been publicly disclosed to Qualcomm and MediaTek, each with a unique CVE identifier. These vulnerabilities can lead to denial of service (DoS) attacks, causing modem failure and reboot in affected devices.
6. The DoS flaws in the disclosed vulnerabilities can lead to complete loss of connectivity until the affected devices are rebooted, potentially posing significant implications in mission-critical environments.
7. The impact of these flaws extends to a wide range of smartphone models from different brands, with ongoing efforts to identify all affected devices.
8. Both Qualcomm and MediaTek have released security bulletins for the disclosed 5Ghoul vulnerabilities, and security updates have been made available to device vendors. However, due to the complexity of the software supply chain, it may be a while before these fixes reach end users via security updates.
9. For individuals concerned about 5Ghoul flaws, the practical solution may be to avoid using 5G entirely until the fixes become available.
If you need any further assistance or clarification on these points, please feel free to ask.