4.4.4.3 Integrity checking of NAS signalling messages in the AMF

Except the messages listed below, no NAS signalling messages shall be processed by the receiving 5GMM entity in the AMF or forwarded to the 5GSM entity, unless the secure exchange of NAS messages has been established for the NAS signalling connection:

• REGISTRATION REQUEST;
• IDENTITY RESPONSE (if requested identification parameter is SUCI);
• AUTHENTICATION RESPONSE;
• AUTHENTICATION FAILURE;
• SECURITY MODE REJECT;
• DEREGISTRATION REQUEST; and
• DEREGISTRATION ACCEPT.

NOTE 1: The REGISTRATION REQUEST message is sent by the UE without integrity protection, if the registration procedure is initiated due to an inter-system change in 5GMM-IDLE mode and no current 5G NAS security context is available in the UE. The other messages are accepted by the AMF without integrity protection, as in certain situations they are sent by the UE before security can be activated.

NOTE 2: The DEREGISTRATION REQUEST message can be sent by the UE without integrity protection, e.g. if the UE is registered for emergency services and there is no valid 5G NAS security context available, or if due to user interaction a registration procedure is cancelled before the secure exchange of NAS messages has been established. For these cases the network can attempt to use additional criteria (e.g. whether the UE is subsequently still performing periodic registration update or still responding to paging) before marking the UE as 5GMM-DEREGISTERED.

Integrity protection is never applied directly to 5GSM messages, but to the 5GMM message in which the 5GSM message is included.

Once a current 5G NAS security context exists, until the secure exchange of NAS messages has been established for the NAS signalling connection, the receiving 5GMM entity in the AMF shall process the following NAS signalling messages, even if the MAC included in the message fails the integrity check or cannot be verified, as the 5G NAS security context is not available in the network:

• REGISTRATION REQUEST;
• IDENTITY RESPONSE (if requested identification parameter is SUCI);
• AUTHENTICATION RESPONSE;
• AUTHENTICATION FAILURE;
• SECURITY MODE REJECT;
• DEREGISTRATION REQUEST;
• DEREGISTRATION ACCEPT;
• SERVICE REQUEST; and
• CONTROL PLANE SERVICE REQUEST.

NOTE 3: These messages are processed by the AMF even when the MAC that fails the integrity check or cannot be verified, as in certain situations they can be sent by the UE protected with a 5G NAS security context that is no longer available in the network.

If a REGISTRATION REQUEST message for initial registration fails the integrity check and it is not a registration request for emergency services, the AMF shall authenticate the subscriber before processing the registration request any further. Additionally, the AMF shall initiate a security mode control procedure, and include the Additional 5G security information IE with the RINMR bit set to "Retransmission of the initial NAS message requested" in the SECURITY MODE COMMAND message as specified in clause 5.4.2.2. If authentication procedure is not successful the AMF shall maintain, if any, the 5GMM-context and 5G NAS security context unchanged.For the case when the registration procedure is for emergency services see clause 5.5.1.2.3 and clause 5.4.1.3.5.

If a REGISTRATION REQUEST message for mobility and periodic registration update fails the integrity check and the UE provided EPS NAS message container IE which was successfully verified by the source MME, the AMF may create a mapped 5G NAS security context and initiate a security mode control procedure to take the new mapped 5G NAS security context into use; otherwise if the UE has only a non-emergency PDU session established, the AMF shall initiate a primary authentication and key agreement procedure to create a new native 5G NAS security context. Additionally, the AMF shall initiate a security mode control procedure, and include the Additional 5G security information IE with the RINMR bit set to "Retransmission of the initial NAS message requested" in the SECURITY MODE COMMAND message as specified in clause 5.4.2.2. If authentication procedure is not successful the AMF shall maintain, if any, the 5GMM-context and 5G NAS security context unchanged. For the case when the UE has an emergency PDU session see clause 5.5.1.3.3 and clause 5.4.1.3.5.

If a DEREGISTRATION REQUEST message fails the integrity check, the AMF shall proceed as follows:

• If it is not a deregistration request due to switch off, and the AMF can initiate an authentication procedure, the AMF should authenticate the subscriber before processing the deregistration request any further.
• If it is a deregistration request due to switch off, or the AMF does not initiate an authentication procedure for any other reason, the AMF may ignore the deregistration request and remain in state 5GMM-REGISTERED.

NOTE 4: The network can attempt to use additional criteria (e.g. whether the UE is subsequently still performing periodic registration update or still responding to paging) before marking the UE as 5GMM-DEREGISTERED.

If a SERVICE REQUEST or CONTROL PLANE SERVICE REQUEST message fails the integrity check and the UE has only non-emergency PDU sessions established, the AMF shall send the SERVICE REJECT message with 5GMM cause #9 "UE identity cannot be derived by the network" and keep the 5GMM-context and 5G NAS security context unchanged. For the case when the UE has an emergency PDU session and integrity check fails, the AMF may skip the authentication procedure even if no 5G NAS security context is available and proceed directly to the execution of the security mode control procedure as specified in clause 5.4.2. Additionally, the AMF shall include the Additional 5G security information IE with the RINMR bit set to "Retransmission of the initial NAS message requested" in the SECURITY MODE COMMAND message as specified in clause 5.4.2.2. After successful completion of the service request procedure, the network shall perform a local release of all non-emergency PDU sessions. The emergency PDU session shall not be released.

Once the secure exchange of NAS messages has been established for the NAS signalling connection, the receiving 5GMM entity in the AMF shall not process any NAS signalling messages unless they have been successfully integrity checked by the NAS. If any NAS signalling message, having not successfully passed the integrity check, is received, then the NAS in the AMF shall discard that message. If any NAS signalling message is received, as not integrity protected even though the secure exchange of NAS messages has been established, then the NAS shall discard this message.