Exploring the Implications and Methodologies of Securing the E2 Interface
Hubert Djuitcheu, Kumar Kakani, Hans Dieter Schotten, Dominik Brunke, Daniel Fraunholz · 2024
This work emerges from the intensifying need to understand and address security issues in rapidly advancing technologies such as 5G and beyond, including open radio access network (O-RAN). The current paper provides an in-depth examination of the security aspects of the E2 interface within the O-RAN context. The research underscores the diverse roles that the E2 interface assumes in enabling communication between the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and the E2 node. It critically examines the various vulnerabilities and potential security threats of this interface. This work subsequently reviews the security mechanisms and methodologies proposed by the O-RAN Alliance to secure the E2 interface. This work aims to highlight the crucial role that the E2 interface undertakes in the network's overall communication and the indispensable security questions, given the stakes of these networks. The findings from this work could serve as a valuable addition to existing resources and provide insightful perspectives for future research in this field. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential directions for future work on the security of the E2 interface.