  In this paper, we investigate the security implications of virtualized and
software-based Open Radio Access Network (RAN) systems, specifically focusing
on the architecture proposed by the O-RAN ALLIANCE and O-Cloud deployments
based on the O-RAN Software Community (OSC) stack and infrastructure. Our key
findings are based on a thorough security assessment and static scanning of the
OSC Near Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) cluster. We highlight the
presence of potential vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in the Kubernetes
infrastructure supporting the RIC, also due to the usage of outdated versions
of software packages, and provide an estimation of their criticality using
various deployment auditing frameworks (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK and the NSA CISA).
In addition, we propose methodologies to minimize these issues and harden the
Open RAN virtualization infrastructure. These encompass the integration of
security evaluation methods into the deployment process, implementing
deployment hardening measures, and employing policy-based control for RAN
components. We emphasize the need to address the problems found in order to
improve the overall security of virtualized Open RAN systems.
