To simulate a packet flooding attack in NS2 has needs to generate an environment in which one or more attacker nodes creates too much traffic to devastate a target node or network, overwhelming bandwidth and resources. This kind of threats can be replicated by using protocols like UDP flooding or ICMP flooding, in which the attacker transmit packets at a high rate, that outcome in congestion and denial of service for appropriate users.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to mimic a packet flooding attack using NS2.
Steps to Simulate Packet Flooding Attack Projects in NS2
Step 1: Set Up NS2
Make sure that NS2 is installed on the system. Packet flooding attacks usually utilize UDP or ICMP due to these protocols don’t needs a connection establishment such as TCP. In this procedure, we will replicate a UDP flooding attack.
Step 2: Understand Packet Flooding Attack
A packet flooding attack main goal is to overwhelm a network or target node by transmitting a large amount of packets in a very short time, overwhelming bandwidth, memory, and processing power. The target node can become overwhelmed; remove the appropriate traffic or even becoming unresponsive.
Step 3: Design the Network Topology
We will model a simple network topology with:
- Legitimate Clients: These nodes create normal traffic.
- Attacker Node: This node creates excessive traffic (packet flood) to overwhelm the target.
- Target Node: This node receives both appropriate traffic and the flood of packets from the attacker.
Step 4: Create an NS2 TCL Script for Packet Flooding Attack Simulation
Here is a sample NS2 TCL script which replicates a UDP packet flooding attack.
Example: Packet Flooding Attack Simulation in NS2
# Create a new NS2 simulator object
set ns [new Simulator]
# Define network topology with 4 nodes
set n0 [$ns node] ;# Legitimate Client 1
set n1 [$ns node] ;# Legitimate Client 2
set n2 [$ns node] ;# Attacker (Flooding node)
set n3 [$ns node] ;# Target Server
# Create duplex links between the nodes (1Mb bandwidth, 10ms delay)
$ns duplex-link $n0 $n3 1Mb 10ms DropTail
$ns duplex-link $n1 $n3 1Mb 10ms DropTail
$ns duplex-link $n2 $n3 1Mb 10ms DropTail
# Define UDP agents for legitimate clients
set udp0 [new Agent/UDP]
$ns attach-agent $n0 $udp0
set udp1 [new Agent/UDP]
$ns attach-agent $n1 $udp1
# Define a UDP sink (Null agent) at the target to receive legitimate traffic
set sink [new Agent/Null]
$ns attach-agent $n3 $sink
# Connect legitimate clients to the target
$ns connect $udp0 $sink
$ns connect $udp1 $sink
# Define CBR (Constant Bit Rate) traffic for legitimate clients
set cbr0 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]
$cbr0 set packetSize_ 512
$cbr0 set interval_ 0.1 ;# 10 packets per second (normal traffic)
$cbr0 attach-agent $udp0
set cbr1 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]
$cbr1 set packetSize_ 512
$cbr1 set interval_ 0.1 ;# 10 packets per second (normal traffic)
$cbr1 attach-agent $udp1
# Start legitimate traffic at 1.0 and 1.5 seconds
$ns at 1.0 “$cbr0 start”
$ns at 1.5 “$cbr1 start”
# Define UDP agent for the attacker (packet flooding)
set udp_attacker [new Agent/UDP]
$ns attach-agent $n2 $udp_attacker
# Define CBR traffic for the attacker (high-rate packet flood)
set cbr_attack [new Application/Traffic/CBR]
$cbr_attack set packetSize_ 1024 ;# Larger packet size for flooding
$cbr_attack set interval_ 0.01 ;# High rate of 100 packets per second
$cbr_attack attach-agent $udp_attacker
# Connect the attacker to the target
$ns connect $udp_attacker $sink
# Start the packet flooding attack at 2.0 seconds
$ns at 2.0 “$cbr_attack start”
puts “Packet flooding attack started at 2.0 seconds.”
# Stop all traffic after 10 seconds
$ns at 10.0 “$cbr0 stop”
$ns at 10.0 “$cbr1 stop”
$ns at 10.0 “$cbr_attack stop”
# Trace file for recording the simulation events
set tracefile [open “packet_flooding_attack.tr” w]
$ns trace-all $tracefile
# NAM file for network animation
set namfile [open “packet_flooding_attack.nam” w]
$ns namtrace-all $namfile
# Define the finish procedure
proc finish {} {
global ns tracefile namfile
$ns flush-trace
close $tracefile
close $namfile
exec nam packet_flooding_attack.nam &
exit 0
}
# Finish the simulation after 12 seconds
$ns at 12.0 “finish”
# Run the simulation
$ns run
Step 5: Explanation of the Script
- Network Setup:
- Four nodes are generated: two legitimate clients (n0, n1), one attacker node (n2), and one target server (n3).
- Duplex links associate the clients and attacker to the target, with a bandwidth of 1Mb and a delay of 10ms.
- Legitimate Traffic:
- UDP agents are attached to the legitimate clients, and a Null agent (sink) is connected to the target to receive traffic.
- CBR traffic is created by the appropriate clients at a moderate rate of 10 packets per second that replicates normal traffic.
- Packet Flooding Attack:
- The attacker node (n2) creates high-rate UDP traffic using CBR, with a packet size of 1024 bytes and an interval of 0.01 seconds (100 packets per second), that replicate a packet flooding attack.
- The attack initiate at 2.0 seconds.
- Tracing and Visualization:
- A trace file (packet_flooding_attack.tr) is created to record all network events.
- A NAM file (packet_flooding_attack.nam) is generated for envisioning the network behaviour using NAM.
Step 6: Run the Simulation
- Save the script as packet_flooding_attack.tcl.
- Execute the simulation in NS2:
ns packet_flooding_attack.tcl
This will create two files:
- packet_flooding_attack.tr: A trace file which records all network events.
- packet_flooding_attack.nam: A NAM file for envisioning the network behaviour.
Step 7: Visualize the Simulation Using NAM
To envision the network behaviour and flooding attack using NAM:
nam packet_flooding_attack.nam
In NAM, we will observe:
- Appropriate traffic from the clients to the server.
- A large number of traffic from the attacker node flooding the server behind 2.0 seconds.
Step 8: Analyse the Trace File
The trace file (packet_flooding_attack.tr) encompasses thorough information in the region of every packet routed in the course of the simulation. We need to evaluate the file to:
- Evaluate the packet delivery ratio (PDR) before and in the course of the attack.
- Monitor the affects on legitimate traffic, like latency and packet drops triggered by the flood.
- Assess the network performance in heavy load because of the attack.
We can utilize AWK, Python, or custom scripts to execute the trace file and extract related parameters.
Step 9: Enhance the Simulation
Here are ways to prolong or optimize the simulation:
- Increase the Attack Intensity: Incorporate more attacker nodes or increase the flooding rate to replicate a more severe attack.
- Introduce Defense Mechanisms: Mimic Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) or firewalls that can identify and prevent the attack.
- Simulate a DDoS Attack: Utilize multiple attacker nodes to mimic a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, in which numerous nodes flood the target instantaneously.
- Simulate Different Protocols: To replicate an ICMP flood or TCP SYN flood rather than UDP flooding.
- Measure Performance Metrics: Evaluate parameters such as throughput, delay, packet loss, and Quality of Service (QoS) in the course of the attack.
As we discussed earlier about the simulation procedures that were utilized to simulate the packet flooding attack using ns2 tool and it contains the essential information like step-by step procedure, explanation and extension for the simulation. If you need more details then feel free to ask!
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