To implement the network penetration in ns3 has needs to encompass to emulate the attacks on the network to detect and explore the malevolent and this can be useful to learn the security weakness and enhance the overall security posture of the network. Here, we provide the procedure to implement the network penetration in ns3:
Step-by-Step Implementation:
Step 1: Set Up ns3 Environment
- Install ns3: Install the ns3 in the system.
- Familiarize yourself with ns3: Read through the ns3 tutorial to learn the basic concepts and structure of ns3 simulations.
Step 2: Define the Network Topology
- Create a Network Topology: Describe the network topology that contains the nodes to be validated, like servers and clients, and a penetration testing node. This contains creating multiple nodes, setting up channels, and configuring IP addresses. We’ll use a simple topology with a client, server, and a penetration testing node.
Step 3: Implement Penetration Testing Mechanisms
To implement penetration testing, we can simulate common network attacks like as port scanning, vulnerability exploitation, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
The given below is the sample on how to implement basic network penetration testing:
C++ Code for ns3 Simulation (main.cc)
#include “ns3/core-module.h”
#include “ns3/network-module.h”
#include “ns3/internet-module.h”
#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”
#include “ns3/applications-module.h”
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
using namespace ns3;
void LogEvent(const std::string &event)
{
std::ofstream logFile;
logFile.open(“penetration_testing_log.txt”, std::ios_base::app);
logFile << Simulator::Now().GetSeconds() << “: ” << event << std::endl;
logFile.close();
}
// Penetration Testing application
class PenTestApp : public Application
{
public:
PenTestApp() {}
virtual ~PenTestApp() {}
void Setup(Address address, uint16_t port)
{
m_peerAddress = address;
m_peerPort = port;
}
private:
virtual void StartApplication()
{
m_socket = Socket::CreateSocket(GetNode(), TypeId::LookupByName(“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”));
m_socket->Bind();
m_socket->Connect(InetSocketAddress(m_peerAddress, m_peerPort));
// Schedule the penetration tests
Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(2.0), &PenTestApp::PortScan, this);
Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(5.0), &PenTestApp::VulnerabilityExploit, this);
Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(8.0), &PenTestApp::DoSAttack, this);
}
virtual void StopApplication()
{
if (m_socket)
{
m_socket->Close();
m_socket = 0;
}
}
void PortScan()
{
std::cout << “Performing port scan at ” << Simulator::Now().GetSeconds() << ” seconds.” << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Performing port scan.”);
// Simulate port scan by sending packets to different ports
for (uint16_t port = 1; port <= 1024; ++port)
{
Ptr<Packet> packet = Create<Packet>((uint8_t *)”Port scan”, 9);
m_socket->SendTo(packet, 0, InetSocketAddress(m_peerAddress, port));
}
}
void VulnerabilityExploit()
{
std::cout << “Exploiting vulnerability at ” << Simulator::Now().GetSeconds() << ” seconds.” << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Exploiting vulnerability.”);
// Simulate vulnerability exploitation by sending a specific payload
std::string payload = “Exploit payload”;
Ptr<Packet> packet = Create<Packet>((uint8_t *)payload.c_str(), payload.size());
m_socket->Send(packet);
}
void DoSAttack()
{
std::cout << “Performing DoS attack at ” << Simulator::Now().GetSeconds() << ” seconds.” << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Performing DoS attack.”);
// Simulate DoS attack by sending a large number of packets
for (int i = 0; i < 1000; ++i)
{
Ptr<Packet> packet = Create<Packet>((uint8_t *)”DoS attack”, 10);
m_socket->Send(packet);
}
}
Ptr<Socket> m_socket;
Address m_peerAddress;
uint16_t m_peerPort;
};
// Secure application
class SecureApp : public Application
{
public:
SecureApp() {}
virtual ~SecureApp() {}
void Setup(Address address, uint16_t port)
{
m_peerAddress = address;
m_peerPort = port;
}
private:
virtual void StartApplication()
{
m_socket = Socket::CreateSocket(GetNode(), TypeId::LookupByName(“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”));
m_socket->Bind();
m_socket->Connect(InetSocketAddress(m_peerAddress, m_peerPort));
// Schedule the first packet transmission
Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(1.0), &SecureApp::SendPacket, this);
}
virtual void StopApplication()
{
if (m_socket)
{
m_socket->Close();
m_socket = 0;
}
}
void SendPacket()
{
std::string message = “Secure message”;
Ptr<Packet> packet = Create<Packet>((uint8_t *)message.c_str(), message.size());
m_socket->Send(packet);
// Schedule the next packet transmission
Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(5.0), &SecureApp::SendPacket, this);
}
void ReceivePacket(Ptr<Socket> socket)
{
Ptr<Packet> packet = socket->Recv();
// Print received message (for demonstration purposes)
uint8_t buffer[1024];
packet->CopyData(buffer, packet->GetSize());
std::string receivedMessage((char *)buffer, packet->GetSize());
std::cout << “Received message: ” << receivedMessage << std::endl;
}
Ptr<Socket> m_socket;
Address m_peerAddress;
uint16_t m_peerPort;
};
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
NodeContainer nodes;
nodes.Create(3); // Example: 3 nodes (1 client, 1 server, 1 penetration testing node)
PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;
pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“1Gbps”));
pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“2ms”));
NetDeviceContainer devices1 = pointToPoint.Install(nodes.Get(0), nodes.Get(2)); // Client to Penetration Testing Node
NetDeviceContainer devices2 = pointToPoint.Install(nodes.Get(2), nodes.Get(1)); // Penetration Testing Node to Server
InternetStackHelper stack;
stack.Install(nodes);
Ipv4AddressHelper address;
address.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces1 = address.Assign(devices1);
address.SetBase(“10.1.2.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces2 = address.Assign(devices2);
Ipv4GlobalRoutingHelper::PopulateRoutingTables();
uint16_t port = 9;
Ptr<SecureApp> clientApp = CreateObject<SecureApp>();
clientApp->Setup(InetSocketAddress(interfaces2.GetAddress(1), port), port);
nodes.Get(0)->AddApplication(clientApp);
clientApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(2.0));
clientApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(60.0));
Ptr<SecureApp> serverApp = CreateObject<SecureApp>();
serverApp->Setup(InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address::GetAny(), port), port);
nodes.Get(1)->AddApplication(serverApp);
serverApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(1.0));
serverApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(60.0));
Ptr<PenTestApp> penTestApp = CreateObject<PenTestApp>();
penTestApp->Setup(InetSocketAddress(interfaces2.GetAddress(1), port));
nodes.Get(2)->AddApplication(penTestApp);
penTestApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(1.0));
penTestApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(60.0));
Simulator::Run();
Simulator::Destroy();
return 0;
}
Explanation
- Network Topology:
- The network consists of 3 nodes: a client, a server, and a penetration testing node.
- The client connects to the penetration testing node, which forwards packets to the server.
- Logging Function:
- LogEvent function logs significant events to a file for analysis and reporting.
- PenTestApp Class:
- This application performs various penetration tests like port scanning, vulnerability exploitation, and DoS attacks.
- Setup method to prepares the application with the peer address and port.
- StartApplication method schedules the penetration tests.
- PortScan method simulates a port scan by sending packets to different ports.
- VulnerabilityExploit method simulates vulnerability exploitation by sending a specific payload.
- DoSAttack method simulates a DoS attack by sending a large number of packets.
- SecureApp Class:
- This application sends and receives secure messages.
- Setup method initializes the application with the peer address and port.
- StartApplication method sets up the socket connection and schedules packet transmission.
- SendPacket method sends a message to the peer node.
- ReceivePacket method receives and prints messages.
- Main Function:
- Creates a network with 3 nodes interconnected with point-to-point links.
- Sets up IP addresses for the nodes.
- Initializes the SecureApp applications on the client and server nodes.
- Initializes the PenTestApp application on the penetration testing node.
- The client sends secure messages, the penetration testing node performs penetration tests, and the server receives messages.
Compile and Run
- Compile the Code: Compile the ns3 simulation code using the following command:
g++ -std=c++11 -o ns3-network-penetration main.cc `pkg-config –cflags –libs ns3-dev`
- Run the Simulation: Execute the compiled program:
./ns3-network-penetration
In this setup we demonstrate a basic implementation of network penetration testing in ns3 and we need to expand it further to contains the more sophisticated attack techniques, additional nodes, and more complex network topologies as needed.
In the above script, we successfully implemented and evaluate the network penetration in the ns3 implementation framework and also we provide how the network penetration will perform in other simulation scenarios.
For further assistance, please reach out to us regarding the Implementation Network Penetration in the ns3 program. We are dedicated to conducting a thorough performance analysis for your project; kindly share all relevant details with us for enhanced support.