A Comprehensive Survey on the Security of eSIM: Threats, Challenges, and Future Directions

The embedded Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) technology introduces flexible subscriber management and remote provisioning capabilities, supporting critical domains such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile communications. However, its dynamic architecture exposes new security challenges beyond traditional SIM systems. This study systematically reviews and synthesizes academic and industrial insights to deliver an integrated framework for understanding security threats related to confidentiality, integrity, and availability in eSIM technology. It classifies vulnerabilities and associated mitigations, highlighting the strengths and limitations of current approaches. The comprehensive taxonomy presented serves as a practical reference for industry stakeholders and researchers, explicitly outlining significant research gaps and encouraging the development of robust, efficient, and secure future eSIM deployments.