Privacy-Preserving Identifier Checking in 5G
Marcel D.S.K. Gr\"afenstein, Stefan K\"opsell, Maryam Zarezadeh

TL;DR
This paper presents a homomorphic encryption-based protocol for privacy-preserving device identifier verification in 5G, enabling identity checks without exposing identifiers and allowing controlled law enforcement access.
Contribution
It introduces a novel protocol that adapts the PEPSI scheme with homomorphic encryption for privacy-preserving identifier checks in 5G networks.
Findings
Verification within five seconds per session
Requires 15-16 MB communication per session
Supports post-quantum security standards
Abstract
Device identifiers like the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) are crucial for ensuring device integrity and meeting regulations in 4G and 5G networks. However, sharing these identifiers with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) brings significant privacy risks by enabling long-term tracking and linking of user activities across sessions. In this work, we propose a privacy-preserving identifier checking method in 5G. This paper introduces a protocol for verifying device identifiers without exposing them to the network while maintaining the same functions as the 3GPP-defined Equipment Identity Register (EIR) process. The proposed solution modifies the PEPSI protocol for a Private Set Membership (PSM) setting using the BFV homomorphic encryption scheme. This lets User Equipment (UE) prove that its identifier is not on an operator's blacklist or greylist while ensuring that the MNO…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAdvanced Authentication Protocols Security · Cryptographic Implementations and Security · Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and Hardware Security
