  The Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the latest mobile standard being implemented
globally to provide connectivity and access to advanced services for personal
mobile devices. Moreover, LTE networks are considered to be one of the main
pillars for the deployment of Machine to Machine (M2M) communication systems
and the spread of the Internet of Things (IoT). As an enabler for advanced
communications services with a subscription count in the billions, security is
of capital importance in LTE. Although legacy GSM (Global System for Mobile
Communications) networks are known for being insecure and vulnerable to rogue
base stations, LTE is assumed to guarantee confidentiality and strong
authentication. However, LTE networks are vulnerable to security threats that
tamper availability, privacy and authentication. This manuscript, which
summarizes and expands the results presented by the author at ShmooCon 2016
\cite{jover2016lte}, investigates the insecurity rationale behind LTE protocol
exploits and LTE rogue base stations based on the analysis of real LTE radio
link captures from the production network. Implementation results are discussed
from the actual deployment of LTE rogue base stations, IMSI catchers and
exploits that can potentially block a mobile device. A previously unknown
technique to potentially track the location of mobile devices as they move from
cell to cell is also discussed, with mitigations being proposed.
