BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Memento EPFL//
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Securing Next Generation Cellular Networks
DTSTART:20260609T103000
DTEND:20260609T123000
DTSTAMP:20260526T170124Z
UID:edce5e291911aa3d9325863a28ec884240eae25c5a3dc78e8786cd08
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Eduard Vlad\nEDIC candidacy exam\nExam president: Prof. Nate F
 oster\nThesis advisor: Prof. Mathias Payer\nCo-thesis advisor: Prof. Haith
 am Al Hassanieh\nCo-examiner: Prof. Thomas Bourgeat\n\nAbstract\nThis thes
 is studies cellular security from a state-aware\, system-level perspective
  spanning user equipment\, access networks\, core networks\, and higher-la
 yer voice and messaging services. These systems form a distributed\, heter
 ogeneous infrastructure whose security depends on complex and largely opaq
 ue implementations across the stack. Cellular infrastructure underpins eve
 ryday communication\, emergency response\, transport\, and industrial syst
 ems\, yet existing research often focuses on isolated components or statel
 ess message handling\, leaving state-dependent vulnerabilities and cross-c
 omponent interactions insufficiently explored. \n\nThis thesis aims to de
 velop methods to infer and explore protocol state in closed and partially 
 observable implementations\, combining active automata learning\, dynamic 
 analysis\, and targeted testing. It begins with baseband firmware and core
 -network components\, then extends across key trust boundaries such as the
  Radio Interface Layer\, non-cellular interworking\, and voice and messagi
 ng infrastructure. The goal is to identify vulnerabilities arising from lo
 gical flaws\, memory-safety issues\, and inconsistencies in how state and 
 trust are handled across components.\n\nBuilding on these insights\, the t
 hesis derives lightweight hardening for deployed systems\, including bound
 ary mediation and flow-based policy validation. By improving how cellular 
 systems are tested and defended\, the project strengthens critical infrast
 ructure and Swiss expertise in 5G security.\n\nSelected papers\n[1]: https
 ://www.ndss-symposium.org/ndss-paper/auto-draft-200/\n[2]:https://www.ndss
 -symposium.org/ndss-paper/basespec-comparative-analysis-of-baseband-softwa
 re-and-cellular-specifications-for-l3-protocols/\n[3]:https://www.usenix.o
 rg/conference/usenixsecurity25/presentation/dong-yilu\n 
LOCATION:BC 133 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==BC%20133
STATUS:CONFIRMED
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR