Denial of service vulnerabilities in IEEE 802.16 wireless networks

Abstract

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' new 802.16 standard is set to revolutionize the delivery of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), much as the 802.11 "Wi-Fi" standard transformed wireless access to Local Area Networks. The standard describes a set of Medium Access Controls (MAC) and Air Interfaces that cover a broad range of broadcast frequencies and applications. As a result, manufacturers are developing 802.16 compliant equipment for high speed point-to-point circuits and point-to-multipoint circuits dubbed Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMANs). These networks can span several miles and contain hundreds of subscribers. Shortly after 802.11 "Wi-Fi" systems became widespread, several serious Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerabilities inherent to the standard were discovered. This thesis examines the MAC layer of the 802.16 standard to determine whether these types of denial of service vulnerabilities are also present in the new standard. Also examined are vulnerabilities that may be unique to the 802.16 standard.