Mobile Ad hoc Networks Security: Blackhole Attack Analysis and Mitigation

Abstract

Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) are decentralized wireless networks that are prone to various security threats due to their infrastructure-less and dynamic nature. This paper explores the challenges associated with securing MANETs, with a particular focus on blackhole attacks, where malicious nodes mislead network traffic by advertising false routing information, resulting in significant data loss. The paper outlines the use of the Network Simulator 3 (NS-3) to model and simulate MANETs and implementing a blackhole attack to study their impact on network performance. It also entails the setup requirements for the simulation environment, including hardware and software specifications. The paper details the development and use of a custom Python script to detect blackhole attacks by analyzing the differences in packet reception rates between normal and compromised network conditions. Additionally, the paper compares various parameters and their effect on packets received to evaluate their susceptibility to blackhole attacks. The document concludes by proposing two mitigation strategies which are deleting the malicious node from the network and isolating the blackhole node and feeding it false packets to neutralize its impact. Finally, the paper emphasizes the importance of ongoing research in enhancing the security of MANETs, suggesting future work to include the exploration of other types of attacks and the integration of advanced detection and mitigation techniques to strengthen the overall security framework of MANETs.