Smart Manufacturers Face a Security Conundrum as they Tackle Emerging 5G Threats

Trend Micro Research reveals multiple proof-of-concept attacks on connected systems

HONG KONG SAR – Media
OutReach – 28 May 2021 –  (;),
a global
cybersecurity leader, released in-depth research highlighting new
threats to 4G/5G campus networks, many of which capitalize on the difficulty
organizations have in patching critical OT environments.

To read
the “Attacks From 4G/5G Core Networks: Risks of the Industrial IoT in
Compromised Campus Network” report, please visit: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/hk/security/news/internet-of-things/the-transition-to-5g-security-implications-of-campus-networks .

“Manufacturers
are at the cutting edge of IIoT deployment, gearing up with 5G to tap the power
of connectivity everywhere to drive greater speed, safety and efficiency. But
with new technology comes new threats added to legacy challenges,” said Yohei
Ishihara, security evangelist for Trend Micro. “As the report warns, many are
stuck in a bind—unable to afford the downtime necessary to patch critical
system vulnerabilities that may otherwise be exploited. Fortunately, our
extensive research also highlights multiple mitigations and best practices to
protect the smart factories of today and tomorrow.”

The report
identifies several key entry points for attackers to compromise a core
4G/5G network:

• Servers hosting core network services: targeting
  of vulnerabilities and weak passwords in these standard COTS x86 servers.
• VMs
  or containers: these
  can also be exposed if the latest patches aren’t applied promptly.
• Network
  infrastructure:
  appliances are often overlooked during patching cycles.
• Base
  stations: also contain
  firmware which needs to be updated from time-to-time.

Once the attacker gets in the core network from any of these entry
points, they will attempt lateral movement in a bid to intercept and change
network packets. By attacking industrial control systems in smart manufacturing
environments like the test site, attackers could steal sensitive data, sabotage
production, or hold organizations to ransom.

From the 11
attack scenarios demonstrated, one of the most potentially damaging involves
targeting Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) servers, which are commonly
used by IT and field engineers. The upgrade to 5G doesn’t automatically protect
RDP traffic, so attackers could use this access to download malware and
ransomware, or directly hijack industrial control systems. RDP v 10.0 is the
most secure version and may offer some protections against these attacks, but
again it may be difficult for organizations to upgrade.

Among the recommendations made in the report to protect 4G/5G
campus networks are:

• VPN
  or IPSec to protect remote communication channels, including to remote sites
  and base stations
• Application-layer encryption (HTTPS, MQTTS, LDAPS, encrypted VNC,
  RDP v10, and secure industrial protocols like S7COMM-Plus)
• EDR,
  XDR or MDR to monitor attacks and lateral movement inside the campus and the
  containerized core network
• Proper
  network segregation with VLAN or SDN
• Prompt
  patching, where possible, of servers, routers and base stations
• Anomaly
  detection products, like Trend Micro Mobile Network Security, which are campus
  network-aware and provide a robust way to cut off unlisted device/SIM card
  pairs

Building a mobile network in an enterprise environment
involves both the end users as well as various stakeholders, including service
providers and integrators. In addition, private 4G / 5G networks are
large-scale infrastructure and have a long life, so once built, they are
difficult to replace or modify. Therefore, it is essential to implement
“security by default” to identify and mitigate security risks at the
design stage.