Saturday, September 27, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Social Science

Discovery highlights ‘critical oversight’ in perceived security of wireless networks

June 6, 2024
in Social Science
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Study led by Rice University unveils vulnerability in wireless backhaul networks for 5G and beyond
67
SHARES
609
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

A research team led by Rice University’s Edward Knightly has uncovered an eavesdropping security vulnerability in high-frequency and high-speed wireless backhaul links, widely employed in critical applications such as 5G wireless cell phone signals and low-latency financial trading on Wall Street.

Study led by Rice University unveils vulnerability in wireless backhaul networks for 5G and beyond

Credit: Photo courtesy of Rice University.

A research team led by Rice University’s Edward Knightly has uncovered an eavesdropping security vulnerability in high-frequency and high-speed wireless backhaul links, widely employed in critical applications such as 5G wireless cell phone signals and low-latency financial trading on Wall Street.

Contrary to the common belief that these links are inherently secure due to their elevated positioning and highly directive millimeter-wave and sub-terahertz “pencil-beams,” the team exposed a novel method of interception using a metasurface-equipped drone dubbed MetaFly. Their findings were published by the world’s premier security conference, IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, in May 2024.

“The implications of our research are far-reaching, potentially affecting a broad spectrum of companies, government agencies and individuals relying on these links,” said Knightly, the Sheafor-Lindsay Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and professor of computer science. “Importantly, understanding this vulnerability is the first step toward developing robust countermeasures.”

Wireless backhaul links, crucial for the backbone of modern communication networks connecting end users to the main networks, have been assumed immune from eavesdropping because of their underlying physical and technological barriers.

Knightly and electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. research assistant Zhambyl Shaikhanov, in collaboration with researchers at Brown University and Northeastern University, have demonstrated how a strong adversary can bypass these defenses with alarming ease. By deploying MetaFly, they intercepted high-frequency signals between rooftops in the Boston metropolitan area, leaving almost no trace.

“Our discovery highlights a critical oversight in the perceived security of our wireless backhaul links,” Shaikhanov said.

As wireless technology advances into the realms of 5G and beyond, ensuring the security of these networks is paramount. The Rice team’s work is a significant step toward understanding sophisticated threats such as MetaFly and also safeguarding the communication infrastructure.

Other members of the research team include Sherif Badran, Northeastern graduate researcher and co-lead author; Josep M. Jornet, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern; Hichem Guerboukha, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at University of Missouri-Kansas City; and Daniel M. Mittleman, professor of engineering at Brown.



Share27Tweet17
Previous Post

Plenary speakers and key deadlines announced for ISSCR 2025 annual meeting in Hong Kong

Next Post

Lakmini Kidder named Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Revenue Officer

Related Posts

blank
Social Science

Boosting Research Impact: Behavioral Science Key Predictors

September 27, 2025
blank
Social Science

Supporting Emergent Bilinguals in NYC’s Pre-K

September 27, 2025
blank
Social Science

Sanctions Impact: Crisis, Confidence, and Strategy Shift

September 27, 2025
blank
Social Science

China’s Open Sharing of Scientific Instruments: Usage Insights

September 27, 2025
blank
Social Science

Cultural Hybridity Shapes Modern Chinese Campus Spaces

September 26, 2025
blank
Social Science

Cinematic Portrayal of Anti-Corruption Revolution: ‘Satyagraha’

September 26, 2025
Next Post
Lakmini Kidder

Lakmini Kidder named Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Revenue Officer

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27560 shares
    Share 11021 Tweet 6888
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    969 shares
    Share 388 Tweet 242
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    646 shares
    Share 258 Tweet 162
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    512 shares
    Share 205 Tweet 128
  • Groundbreaking Clinical Trial Reveals Lubiprostone Enhances Kidney Function

    469 shares
    Share 188 Tweet 117
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Revealing Sichuan Taimen’s Genome and Population Decline
  • Discovering Medicinal Plants’ Anticancer Properties Through Metabolomics
  • CCDC137 Knockdown Hinders Bladder Cancer Growth via SCD Downregulation
  • Respiratory, Feeding Challenges Extend Stay in 33–36 Week Infants

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,185 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading