System and method for faked base station detection

A wireless communication device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor and storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:
• identify multiple parameters associated with a discovery signal transmitted by a second wireless device, the second wireless device advertising as a base station (BS);
• compare the multiple parameters associated with the discovery signal transmitted by the second wireless device with a set of parameters assigned to, or otherwise associated with, a cluster of neighboring BSs;
• and
• determine that the second wireless device is a fake BS when an inconsistency between the parameters associated with the discovery signal transmitted by the second wireless device and the set of parameters assigned to, or otherwise associated with, the cluster of neighboring BSs exceeds a threshold.

A method for detecting fake base stations, the method comprising:

• detecting, by a first wireless device, a discovery signal of a second wireless device, the second wireless device advertising as a base station controller (BSC);
• determining, by the first wireless device, a power threshold and a minimum lifetime duration assigned to, or otherwise associated with, a cluster of neighboring BSCs;
• and
• determining that the second wireless device is a faked base station when both a received power level of the discovery signal exceeds the power threshold and a lifetime of the discovery signal fails to exceed the minimum lifetime duration, the lifetime of the discovery signal corresponding to a period of time for which the discovery signal is capable of being detected by the first wireless device.