Cellular Synchronization Assisted Refinement (CeSAR): A Method for Accurate Geolocation in LTE-A Networks

Abstract

The vulnerability of cellular networks to location-based attacks via uplink timing management commands has been studied since the advent of GSM. However, the introduction of heterogenous networks as the answer to increasing demand for data throughput has resulted in a new vulnerability to such attacks. In this work, we propose Cellular Synchronization Assisted Refinement (CeSAR), an entirely passive method of leveraging available LTE-A downlink synchronization messaging to refine uplink timing advance commands issued by the network. Our results suggest that CeSAR is capable of providing positioning improvement, not only in LTE-A networks but also in legacy deployments, of up to 254 meters.