Penetration Testing of 5G Mobile Communication

Target Audience

This course is recommended for:

• Cybersecurity specialists, pentesters, red team/blue team, SOC/CSIRT
• Network and telecommunications engineers (RAN, Core), 5G solution architects
• Individuals responsible for IoT security and cloud environments supporting mobile services
• Technical auditors and GRC teams verifying 5G security controls

Prerequisites

• Network engineers
• System administrators
• Infrastructure maintenance specialists
• People working with network devices (e.g. Cisco/Juniper) and laboratory environments
• Testers and DevOps/SREs needing practical Linux skills in network and infrastructure services

Basic Knowledge Required

• TCP/IP, DNS, routing, and basic network security
• Linux (console, networking tools), basic scripting (preferred)
• Basic knowledge of cellular telecommunications (LTE/5G high-level) – if lacking, the trainer will introduce the essential concepts.

Methodology and Course Format

• Short theory + demonstrations + hands-on lab exercises.
• Scenario-based work: from test model construction to testing, reporting, and recommendations.
• Quality control checkpoints: verifying scope, risks, and impact on availability (anti-outage).
• Materials: test checklists, test plan template, report template, list of standards and sources.

Example Laboratory Exercises (to be customized)

Depending on the form of the course and the availability of infrastructure, the labs may include:

• Mapping the 5G architecture/client environment onto the test model and preparing the scope and security rules for the test.
• Building a test checklist for network slicing, cloud supporting 5G, and IoT integrations.
• Performing a controlled test scenario (reconnaissance → validation → evidence → recommendations).
• Log and telemetry analysis for forensics (event correlation, timeline, root cause hypotheses).
• Preparing a brief final report and presenting the results in business risk language.

Training Environment and Organization

• Recommended laboratory environment: isolated, with monitoring and the ability to quickly rollback.
• Access to tools and permissions limited to the minimum necessary for exercises (principle of least privilege).
• Remote delivery option using virtual desktops/labs (DaDesktop option).

Materials, Results, and Next Steps

• Training materials: handout + checklists + document templates (test plan, report)
• Certificate of completion
• Trainer’s recommendations: areas for further strengthening (hardening, monitoring, IR processes, automation)

1. Introduction

• Challenges in testing 5G networks: complexity of architecture, multi-access, low latency, critical services.
• Threat models: attacks on users, operators, service/IoT providers, and the cloud layer.
• Principles of conducting safe and legal tests: scope, permissions, activity logging, test interruption plan.

2. Overview of 5G Features and Architecture

• New Radio (NR): components, basic interfaces, and typical risk points.
• Millimeter waves: characteristics of mmWave and their implications for reliability, availability, and security.
• Massive MIMO and beamforming: impact on connectivity and potential vectors for abuse.
• Network slicing: isolation, policies, risks of “leaks” and misconfigurations.

3. Phases of 5G Deployment

• Verification and validation of technology: what to test early to avoid embedding risks into the project.
• Deployment, activation, and scaling: critical controls, operational requirements, and monitoring.
• Warranty, optimization, monetization: change management, SLA, compliance, and regression testing.

4. 5G Encryption

• Communication resistance and security: data protection in transit and at rest.
• Identity management: devices, users, services; typical IAM errors and risks.
• Privacy and security guarantees: data minimization, metadata, compliance with organizational requirements.

5. Case Study: 5G Hacking

• Scenario analysis and mapping of the attack chain (reconnaissance → access → escalation → persistence → exfiltration/disruption).
• Conclusions: how to design controls to reduce the effectiveness of similar attacks.

6. Overview of 5G Testing Tools

• Tool categories: reconnaissance, protocol analysis, API testing, configuration testing, cloud/CI/CD assessment.
• Tool selection for purpose: accuracy vs. speed, availability risks.
• Building the “toolbox” and working hygiene: logging, versioning, repeatability, automation.

7. Creating a Security Plan

• Scope and boundaries of the test (in-scope / out-of-scope), roles and responsibilities, escalation channels.
• Risk model and priorities: confidentiality, integrity, availability, and impact on critical services.
• Success criteria: metrics, evidence, reporting requirements.

8. Creating a 5G Test Model

• Mapping architecture to attack vectors: RAN, Core, cloud, IoT, VoWiFi.
• Test scenarios: configuration vulnerabilities, integration errors, identity abuse, availability attacks.
• Lab design: monitoring, impact control, rollback plan.

9. 5G Penetration Testing

• Reconnaissance and enumeration of network elements and associated services (API, portals, integrations).
• Vulnerability validation and preparing proof without risking downtime (safe proof).
• Prioritizing fixes: quick wins vs. architectural changes.
• Report: description of vulnerabilities, business impact, recommendations, and action plan.

10. Case Study: Cyberattack and Mobile Network Vulnerabilities

• Root cause analysis (RCA): what went wrong in controls and processes.
• Recommendations: hardening, detection, response, regression testing.

11. Cloud Communication Security

• Cloud-native risks: IAM, network, storage, secrets, CI/CD.
• Security and testing: policies, segmentation, traffic control, monitoring and alerting.

12. IoT Device Security

• IoT risks in 5G: scale, heterogeneity, updates, telemetry.
• Device and integration verification: identity, certificates, OTA, API.
• IoT threat modeling and test scenarios.

13. Voice Over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) Security

• VoWiFi architecture and key points: authentication, call setup, QoS.
• Testing and common issues: configuration errors, privacy risks, vulnerabilities in associated services.

14. Ensuring Data Quality for Basic Level Equipment

• Importance of telemetry quality for security and anomaly detection.
• Verification of log, metric, and signal accuracy from edge devices.

15. 5G Monitoring

• What to monitor: RAN, core, cloud, IoT, VoWiFi, traffic, and security events.
• Building detection use-cases and mapping to attack scenarios.

16. Case Study: Financial Fraud via Mobile Networks

• Abuse mechanisms: account takeovers, phishing, fraud, identity manipulation.
• Controls: authentication, detection, response, and stakeholder communication.

17. 5G Forensic Analysis

• Principles of evidence securing and minimizing production impact.
• Data correlation: logs, metrics, network traces, cloud artifacts.
• Post-incident findings and regression testing.

18. 5G Security Control Audit

• Control verification: policies, configurations, operational processes, monitoring, IR.
• Audit report: requirements, evidence, priorities, action plan.

19. 5G Security Automation

• Test and control automation: scanning, configuration validation, security gates in CI/CD.
• Secure automation: versioning, change control, limiting privileges.

20. 5G Testing Cost Control

• Budget planning: laboratory, tools, licenses, team time, downtime risks.
• Strategy: highest value tests vs. cost, minimum viable control set (MVP).

21. Testing Standards and Best Practices

• Overview of standards and best practices (organizational and technical).
• How to translate standards into checklists, criteria, and reports for stakeholders.

22. Summary and Conclusions

• Key risks and quick wins for improving 5G security.
• Next steps: roadmap for improvements, follow-up training, recurring testing.