Security Flaws Already Found in 5G Technology

Security Flaws Already Found in 5G Technology

5G is the talk of the town, but is it free of security risks?

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Feb 27, 2019

5G is shiny, new and the talk of the town when it comes to the next generation of cellular technology, and now that the first 5G-capable phones and networks are starting to roll out experts are sinking their teeth into researching for vulnerabilities and security risks. 

Security researchers at Purdue University and the University of Iowa have already poked holes in the months-old 5G technology, discovering three new vulnerabilities in 5G that can be used to track someone's location, intercept phone calls and send fraudulent text messages.

The most critical flaw is called Torpedo and it exploits a flaw in the paging system that notifies your phone of an incoming call or text. If an attacker starts to cancel several calls in a short period of time, they can send a paging message without alerting your phone to a call. Not only does this allow the attacker to track your phone's location and spoof paging messages like Amber and Emergency alerts, but this can also expose your phone to two other attacks: Piercer and IMSI-Cracking Attack. 

Piecers allows hackers to determine your phone's unique international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) on a 4G network. IMSI-Cracking Attack allows hackers to brute-force encrypted IMSI numbers in both 4G and 5G networks. 

All four major carriers, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint are all vulnerable to Torpedo and the worst part is: Torpedo can be carried out with radio equipment that costs as little as $200.

The security researchers reported the flaws to GSMA, the international body that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, but in the meantime users must wait for GSMA and companies to patch the flaws.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.