To simulate passive attacks in OMNeT++ has needs to design a network eavesdropping or traffic evaluation threats in which an attacker silently eavesdrops to interaction among network nodes without changing the information or disturbing communication. Passive attacks are concentrated on gaining unauthorized access to information, like monitoring packet content, analysing traffic patterns, or capturing credentials.
Here is a procedure to simulate the passive attacks in OMNeT++
Examples of Passive Attacks:
- Packet Sniffing: The attacker captures packets on the network to evaluate their content.
- Traffic Analysis: The attacker tracks the volume, timing, and frequency of network traffic to infer information about the network’s behaviour or active users.
In this guide, we have shared in detail how to simulate passive attack scenarios in OMNeT++ by generating an attacker node that silently tracks traffic in a network without changing the data.
Steps to Simulate Passive Attacks Projects in OMNeT++
- Set Up OMNeT++ and INET Framework
- Install OMNeT++: Download OMNeT++.
- Install INET Framework: The INET framework deliver network models that contain basic TCP/IP, UDP, and ICMP protocols, that are necessary for replicate passive attacks. Download it from the INET GitHub page or install it using the OMNeT++ package manager.
- Understand Passive Attacks
Passive attacks typically include:
- Packet Sniffing: The attacker captures and tests the content of packets passing via the network. This can reveal sensitive data such as unencrypted credentials, session tokens, or data payloads.
- Traffic Analysis: The attacker observes traffic patterns like the timing, volume, and direction of communication to infer information about network activity.
- Define Network Topology (NED File)
To simulate a passive attack, we need to describe a network with an attacker that can silently observe the interaction among legitimate nodes. The attacker is positioned inside the network so that it can interrupt traffic, usually by being placed in a distributed network segment or by attaching to a router or switch.
Example NED File for Passive Attack Simulation:
network PassiveAttackNetwork
{
submodules:
hostA: StandardHost {
@display(“i=device/pc”);
}
hostB: StandardHost {
@display(“i=device/pc”);
}
router: Router {
@display(“i=abstract/router”);
}
attacker: StandardHost {
@display(“i=device/laptop”);
}
connections:
hostA.pppg++ <–> PointToPointLink <–> router.pppg++;
hostB.pppg++ <–> PointToPointLink <–> router.pppg++;
attacker.pppg++ <–> PointToPointLink <–> router.pppg++; // Attacker can intercept traffic
}
In this network:
- hostA and hostB are legitimate devices interacts with each other via the router.
- attacker is associated to the router and can track the traffic among hostA and hostB.
- Configure Hosts to Generate Traffic
The legitimate hosts want to create network traffic, like TCP or UDP communication, that the attacker will monitor.
Example Configuration in omnetpp.ini:
network = PassiveAttackNetwork
sim-time-limit = 100s
# Configure hostA to send TCP traffic to hostB
*.hostA.numTcpApps = 1
*.hostA.tcpApp[0].typename = “TcpBasicClientApp”
*.hostA.tcpApp[0].connectAddress = “hostB”
*.hostA.tcpApp[0].connectPort = 80 # HTTP-like traffic
*.hostA.tcpApp[0].sendBytes = 500000 # Send 500 KB of data
# Configure hostB to receive traffic from hostA
*.hostB.numTcpApps = 1
*.hostB.tcpApp[0].typename = “TcpBasicServerApp”
*.hostB.tcpApp[0].localPort = 80
In this configuration:
- hostA transmit 500 KB of TCP traffic to hostB over port 80, replicate typical HTTP-such as communication.
- hostB is configured to receive the traffic on port 80.
- Implement a Packet Sniffer for the Attacker
The attacker in a passive attack does not adapt or interfere with traffic but silently eavesdrops to the interaction among other hosts. We need to execute a packet sniffer in OMNeT++ that captures all traffic passing via the attacker node.
Example C++ Code for Passive Attack (Packet Sniffer):
class PacketSniffer : public cSimpleModule
{
protected:
virtual void initialize() override;
virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override;
void analyzePacket(cPacket *pkt);
};
void PacketSniffer::initialize()
{
// Initialization of packet sniffer
EV << “Packet sniffer initialized. Listening to traffic…\n”;
}
void PacketSniffer::handleMessage(cMessage *msg)
{
// Capture the incoming packet
cPacket *pkt = check_and_cast<cPacket*>(msg);
analyzePacket(pkt);
// Forward the packet as we are a passive attacker
send(pkt, “out”);
}
void PacketSniffer::analyzePacket(cPacket *pkt)
{
// Analyze packet contents (without altering anything)
EV << “Captured packet: ” << pkt->getName() << ” from ” << pkt->getSenderModule()->getName() << endl;
// You can extract more detailed info from the packet if needed (e.g., headers, payload)
// For example:
// auto ipHeader = check_and_cast<IPv4Datagram*>(pkt); // If you are working with IP packets
// EV << “Source IP: ” << ipHeader->getSrcAddress() << endl;
}
In this code:
- handleMessage() captures every packet that passes across the attacker.
- analyzePacket() logs information about the captured packet, like the sender, receiver, and packet content, without adjusting the packet itself.
- The packet is then forwarded as the attacker does not interfere with the traffic (passive attack).
- Configure the Attacker in omnetpp.ini
The attacker node is set up to execute the PacketSniffer module that captures packets among hostA and hostB.
Example Configuration for Attacker in omnetpp.ini:
network = PassiveAttackNetwork
sim-time-limit = 100s
# Configure attacker to run packet sniffer
*.attacker.numApps = 1
*.attacker.app[0].typename = “PacketSniffer”
In this setup:
- attacker executes the PacketSniffer application, which passively captures and logs traffic flowing via the network.
- Run the Simulation
Once the network and hosts are configured, execute the simulation using OMNeT++:
- Qtenv or Tkenv: These graphical interfaces enable you to envision network traffic and track on how the attacker captures packets.
- Traffic Capture: The attacker will log all packets passing among hostA and hostB, demonstrates on how an eavesdropper can gain access to sensitive information without altering the data.
- Analyse the Results
After executing the simulation, we need to evaluate the logged packets and traffic patterns:
- Captured Traffic: Investigate the logs created by the attacker to see how much data was captured, like IP addresses, port numbers, and packet sizes.
- Sensitive Data: If we are simulating unencrypted communication (e.g., HTTP), the attacker can capture sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, or session information.
- Traffic Patterns: If the attacker performs traffic analysis, they can gather relationships among hosts according to packet timing, frequency, and volume.
- Extend the Project
Here are some ways to expand the passive attack simulation:
- Traffic Analysis: Execute a more sophisticated traffic evaluation module that measure packet timing and volume to infer relationships among communicating hosts.
- Encrypted Communication: Replicate encrypted communication (e.g., TLS/SSL) and monitor how the attacker can still perform traffic evaluation despite not seeing the actual data.
- Intrusion Detection: Execute an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) that observe for unusual traffic patterns and raises alerts if it identify suspicious behavior.
- Man-in-the-Middle Attack: Prolong the simulation to act as an active attack, like a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack, in which the attacker can adjust or inject traffic among hosts.
Example Project Structure:
PassiveAttackSimulation/
├── src/
│ └── PassiveAttackNetwork.ned # Network topology for passive attack
│ └── PacketSniffer.cc # Custom packet sniffer implementation
├── omnetpp.ini # Simulation configuration
└── Makefile # Build file for compiling the project
Conclusion
To simulate passive attacks in OMNeT++ has needs to generate a network in which an attacker node passively track and logs traffic without changing or disturbing the interaction among legitimate hosts
In this setup, we had illustrated about how the passive attacks projects will be simulated in OMNeT+ tool and also we provide the complete explanation to understand the passive attacks project. More information regarding this process will also be shared.
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