Poster: Developing an O-RAN Security Test Lab

TL;DR

This paper presents a framework for developing a practical security test lab for ORAN 5G networks, addressing the lack of empirical security assessments in this emerging architecture.

Contribution

It proposes a minimal, adaptable deployment model for ORAN 5G that enables practical security testing and analysis of its components.

Findings

Framework for practical security testing of ORAN implemented

Supports diverse security analyses for ORAN components

Addresses gap in empirical security evaluations of ORAN

Abstract

Open Radio Access Networks (ORAN) is a new architectural approach, having been proposed only a few years ago, and it is an expansion of the current Next Generation Radio Access Networks (NG-RAN) of 5G. ORAN aims to break this closed RAN market that is controlled by a handful of vendors, by implementing open interfaces between the different Radio Access Networks (RAN) components, and by introducing modern technologies to the RAN like machine learning, virtualization, and disaggregation. However, the architectural design of ORAN was recently causing concerns and debates about its security, which is considered one of its major drawbacks. Several theoretical risk analyses related to ORAN have been conducted, but to the best of our knowledge, not even a single practical one has been performed yet. In this poster, we discuss and propose a way for a minimal, future-proof deployment of an ORAN 5G network, able to accommodate various hands-on security analyses for its different elements.