Publication
Securing O-RAN: A Modular xApp-Based Defense Framework in the Near-RT RIC
Prudhvi Kumar Kakani; Manjunath Reddy Chavva Balannagari; Matthias Tammen; Hans Dieter Schotten
In: 2025 IEEE Future Networks World Forum. IEEE Future Networks World Forum (FNWF-2025), November 10-12, Bangalore, India, IEEE, 2025.
Abstract
The progressive adoption of O-RAN architectures enables greater flexibility and innovation through programmability and modularization but also introduces novel cybersecurity risks due to increased system complexity and exposure. The core innovation of this paper is an embedded security framework operating inside the Near-RT RIC – the real-time "brain" of open cellular networks. Unlike traditional telecom security tools that guard the network perimeter or analyze data offline, this paper proposes developing modular defense mechanisms that run within the RIC itself. It leverages containerized security xApps (extensible applications) inside the RIC to perform real-time anomaly detection and automated threat mitigation. These xApps use hybrid artificial intelligence models to detect both high-volume attacks (e.g. DDoS flooding, jamming) and stealthy adversarial attacks targeting the RAN’s control logic. Upon detection, the framework enforces mitigation actions—such as quarantining rogue xApps, throttling malicious traffic, or detaching compromised user equipment—within the RIC’s control loop. This approach elevates the RIC from a potential weakness to a resilient, autonomous control point—capable of rapid, trustworthy, and intelligent defense against both volumetric and adversarial threats in AI-native O-RAN networks.