[Paper Review] A Distributed Protocol for Detection of Packet Dropping Attack in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Jaydip Sen, M Girish Chandra+3 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Nov 2, 2011

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks5 references6 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes a fully distributed, cooperative protocol for detecting packet dropping attacks in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) by leveraging redundant routing information to ensure robustness against transient partitions and Byzantine failures. The scheme eliminates reliance on centralized or elected nodes, using end-to-end packet monitoring and cross-verification among neighbors to detect and isolate malicious nodes, with simulation results confirming high detection accuracy and resilience under dynamic conditions.

ABSTRACT

In multi-hop mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs),mobile nodes cooperate with each other without using any infrastructure such as access points or base stations. Security remains a major challenge for these networks due to their features of open medium, dynamically changing topologies, reliance on cooperative algorithms, absence of centralized monitoring points, and lack of clear lines of defense. Among the various attacks to which MANETs are vulnerable, malicious packet dropping attack is very common where a malicious node can partially degrade or completely disrupt communication in the network by consistently dropping packets. In this paper, a mechanism for detection of packet dropping attack is presented based on cooperative participation of the nodes in a MANET. The redundancy of routing information in an ad hoc network is utilized to make the scheme robust so that it works effectively even in presence of transient network partitioning and Byzantine failure of nodes. The proposed scheme is fully cooperative and thus more secure as the vulnerabilities of any election algorithm used for choosing a subset of nodes for cooperation are absent. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the protocol.

Motivation & Objective

• To address the critical security challenge of packet dropping attacks in infrastructure-less mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs).
• To design a detection mechanism resilient to transient network partitions and Byzantine node failures.
• To eliminate vulnerabilities associated with election-based coordination by using fully cooperative, distributed detection among all nodes.
• To ensure high detection accuracy and robustness through redundancy in routing information and end-to-end packet verification.

Proposed method

• Each node monitors packets it forwards and verifies their delivery using end-to-end acknowledgment mechanisms.
• Nodes periodically exchange routing information and use this redundancy to cross-verify packet delivery status.
• A distributed detection algorithm is applied where nodes collaboratively identify inconsistencies indicating packet dropping.
• The protocol avoids centralized monitoring or election of coordinators, ensuring no single point of failure or attack.
• Nodes use cryptographic techniques to bind packet delivery reports to their identities, preventing spoofing.
• The scheme is designed to function effectively even when some nodes are compromised or behave maliciously (Byzantine failures).

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can packet dropping attacks be detected in MANETs without relying on centralized monitoring or elected coordinators?
• RQ2 What mechanisms can ensure detection robustness in the presence of transient network partitions?
• RQ3 How can redundancy in routing information be leveraged to detect and isolate malicious nodes?
• RQ4 What level of detection accuracy and resilience can be achieved in a fully distributed, cooperative protocol?
• RQ5 How does the protocol maintain security and integrity under Byzantine node behavior?

Key findings

• The proposed protocol achieves high detection accuracy for packet dropping attacks in dynamic MANET environments.
• The scheme remains effective even during transient network partitions due to the use of redundant routing data.
• The absence of elected or centralized nodes eliminates vulnerabilities associated with coordination protocols.
• Simulation results confirm the protocol's resilience to Byzantine failures and consistent performance under varying network conditions.
• The cooperative, distributed nature of the protocol enhances security and reduces the risk of false positives or undetected attacks.