SPARROW: A Novel Covert Communication Scheme
Reza Soosahabi and Chuck McAuley introduce SPARROW, a long-range wireless covert communication channel operating over cellular LTE and 5G MAC layers.
Summary
Limitations of Physical and Network Layer Covert Channels
Most wireless covert communication techniques focus on PHY-layer radio modulation or IP-layer encapsulation, both of which are easily detected by modern spectrum analyzers and firewalls.
Exploiting Cellular LTE and 5G MAC Layer Protocols
Reza Soosahabi and Chuck McAuley discover an operational sweet spot within cellular Medium Access Control (MAC) layer signaling and scheduling mechanisms.
Introducing the SPARROW Covert Protocol
SPARROW embeds stealthy data packets inside standard cellular control frames, enabling long-range, low-power data transmission between mobile endpoints without triggering carrier billing or intrusion alarms.
Detection Strategies for Mobile Network Operators
The authors outline behavioral anomaly detection metrics for cellular carriers to identify irregular MAC layer signaling patterns.
Related talks
Live Presentations·44 min
Reza Soosahabi · Chuck McAuley
Reza Soosahabi and Chuck McAuley demonstrate live covert data transmission over cellular networks, exploiting MAC-layer protocols in LTE and 5G.
Fortinet·9 min
Engineers explore architecture and security mechanisms for FortiExtender Cellular Failover Demo | 5G/LTE Wireless WAN.
War Stories·43 min
Tracy Mosley
Tracy Mosley traces the generational evolution of cellular networks from 2G to 5G, breaking down core network topologies, attack surfaces, and protocol vulnerabilities.