GNSS Spoofing in Mobile Devices: A Survey on Impact and Countermeasures

2026-10-01

AI Summary

This study addresses the challenge of deploying conventional GNSS spoofing defense mechanisms on smartphones constrained by limited hardware resources. By integrating GNSS signal processing, radio-frequency interference analysis, and mobile security detection algorithms, this work pioneers a spoofing threat taxonomy and countermeasure evaluation framework specifically tailored to the unique hardware constraints of mobile architectures, thereby filling a critical gap in existing surveys. The research systematically reviews vulnerability characteristics and detection techniques, constructing a comparative framework for mobile-adapted defense strategies that elucidates the trade-offs of each approach on smartphone platforms. Ultimately, this paper provides a comprehensive guide for advancing GNSS spoofing protection within resource-constrained mobile environments.

Abstract

Smartphones rely on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based positioning for many of the functions they execute everyday. The GNSS receivers embedded in smartphones are susceptible to anthropogenic radio frequency interference attacks in the forms of jamming and spoofing due to the low-power and open-architecture signals they receive from the satellite constellations. While jamming is a practice that denies a GNSS receiver the ability to form a position, velocity, and time (PVT) solution, spoofing represents a more insidious threat by using forged satellite signals that aim at causing the victim receiver to compute a false PVT solution. The ubiquity of smartphones and the sensitive geolocation data they hold make them a primary target for malicious spoofing. However, their hardware constraints and the lack of deep visibility into the GNSS receiver processing chain create significant hurdles for effective countermeasures. Existing surveys comprehensively explore general spoofing countermeasures but fail to address these mobile-specific limitations. This article fills that gap with a novel survey focused on techniques viable within the unique constraints of smartphone architectures. Specifically, we establish a taxonomy for defining GNSS spoofing attack effects and countermeasures, provide a historical review of smartphone vulnerability characterization, and provide an overview of techniques proposed to detect and counteract smartphone spoofing threats, offering a comparative framework to weigh their respective pros and cons on mobile platforms.

Problem

• GNSS Spoofing
• Smartphones
• Mobile Devices
• Radio Frequency Interference
• Countermeasures

Innovation

• GNSS Spoofing
• Smartphones
• Countermeasures
• Taxonomy
• Mobile Security