Method and system for integrity protection of user plane signaling messages in wireless network

A method performed by an operator network system in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a dedicated Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment request including information on a maximum data rate of the UE for transmitting user plane (UP) signaling messages, by a session management function (SMF);
• in response to the dedicated PDU session establishment request, transmitting, by the SMF, a configuration information for establishing the dedicated PDU session to the UE;
• establishing, by the SMF, the dedicated PDU session based on the maximum data rate of the UE;
• in case that the UE supports an integrity protection for the maximum data rate of the UE, exchanging by a domain name system (DNS) server, the UP signaling messages with the UE over the established dedicated PDU session with integrity protection;
• and
• in case that the UE does not support the integrity protection for the maximum data rate of the UE, exchanging, by the DNS server, the UP signaling message with the UE over a non-access-stratum, NAS, to confirm the integrity protection,
• wherein the UP signaling message have to be sent using a control plane (CP) by the UE and wherein the operator network system includes at least one of the SMF, an access and mobility management function (AMF), or the DNS server.

A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising:

• a transceiver;
• and
• at least one processor operably coupled to the transceiver, and configured to:
• transmit, to a session management function (SMF), a dedicated Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment request including information on a maximum data rate of the UE for transmitting user plane (UP) signaling messages;
• in response to the dedicated PDU session establishment request, receive a configuration information for establishing the dedicated PDU session from the SMF;
• establish the dedicated PDU session based on the configuration information;
• and
• in case that the UE supports an integrity protection for the maximum data rate of the UE, exchange the UP signaling messages with a domain name system (DNS) server over the established dedicated PDU session;
• and
• in case that the UE does not support the integrity protection for the maximum data rate of the UE, determine that the UP signaling message have to be sent using a control plane (CP) and exchange the UP signaling message with the DNS server over a non-access-stratum (NAS).