To implement the network threat hunting in ns3 has encompasses to emulate the network where the nodes vigorously observe, identify and respond the possible security attacks. The proactive method is concentrate on classifying and preventing the threats before they cause the important harm. The given below is the detailed procedure on how to implement the network threat hunting in ns3:
Step-by-Step Procedure:
Step 1: Set Up ns3 Environment
- Install ns3: Install and download the ns3 in the system.
- Familiarize yourself with ns3: Read through the ns3 tutorial to know the simple concepts and structure of ns3 simulations.
Step 2: Define the Network Topology
- Create a Network Topology: to describe the network topology that concludes with the threat hunting capabilities. This contains to generate the multiple nodes, setup the channels and configure IP addresses. We’ll use a simple topology with a client, server, firewall, IDS, and a threat hunting node.
Step 3: Implement Threat Hunting Mechanisms
To implement threat hunting, we can use the following strategies:
- Monitoring: Nodes continuously monitor network traffic for suspicious activities.
- Logging: Log all significant events for analysis and reporting.
- Threat Detection: To detect threats use predefined rules or machine learning techniques.
- Response: Take appropriate actions when a threat is detected like blocking traffic or alerting administrators.
The given below is the sample on how to implement basic network threat hunting:
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(“threat_hunting_log.txt”, std::ios_base::app);
logFile << Simulator::Now().GetSeconds() << “: ” << event << std::endl;
logFile.close();
}
// Threat Hunting application
class ThreatHuntingApp : public Application
{
public:
ThreatHuntingApp() {}
virtual ~ThreatHuntingApp() {}
void Setup()
{
}
private:
virtual void StartApplication()
{
// Schedule the first threat hunt
Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(10.0), &ThreatHuntingApp::PerformThreatHunt, this);
}
virtual void StopApplication()
{
}
void PerformThreatHunt()
{
// Simulate a threat hunt
std::cout << “Performing threat hunt at ” << Simulator::Now().GetSeconds() << ” seconds.” << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Performing threat hunt.”);
// Check if firewall and IDS are active (for demonstration purposes)
Ptr<Node> node = GetNode();
bool firewallActive = node->GetObject<FirewallApp>() != nullptr;
bool idsActive = node->GetObject<IDSApp>() != nullptr;
if (firewallActive)
{
std::cout << “Firewall is active.” << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Firewall is active.”);
}
else
{
std::cout << “Firewall is not active.” << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Firewall is not active.”);
}
if (idsActive)
{
std::cout << “IDS is active.” << std::endl;
LogEvent(“IDS is active.”);
}
else
{
std::cout << “IDS is not active.” << std::endl;
LogEvent(“IDS is not active.”);
}
// Schedule the next threat hunt
Simulator::Schedule(Seconds(10.0), &ThreatHuntingApp::PerformThreatHunt, this);
}
};
// Firewall application
class FirewallApp : public Application
{
public:
FirewallApp() {}
virtual ~FirewallApp() {}
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));
// Set up the receive callback
m_socket->SetRecvCallback(MakeCallback(&FirewallApp::ReceivePacket, this));
}
virtual void StopApplication()
{
if (m_socket)
{
m_socket->Close();
m_socket = 0;
}
}
void ReceivePacket(Ptr<Socket> socket)
{
Ptr<Packet> packet = socket->Recv();
// Simple firewall rule: drop packets containing “malicious”
uint8_t buffer[1024];
packet->CopyData(buffer, packet->GetSize());
std::string receivedMessage((char *)buffer, packet->GetSize());
if (receivedMessage.find(“malicious”) != std::string::npos)
{
std::cout << “Packet dropped by firewall: ” << receivedMessage << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Packet dropped by firewall: ” + receivedMessage);
}
else
{
std::cout << “Packet allowed by firewall: ” << receivedMessage << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Packet allowed by firewall: ” + receivedMessage);
ForwardPacket(packet);
}
}
void ForwardPacket(Ptr<Packet> packet)
{
m_socket->Send(packet);
}
Ptr<Socket> m_socket;
Address m_peerAddress;
uint16_t m_peerPort;
};
// IDS application
class IDSApp : public Application
{
public:
IDSApp() : m_packetsReceived(0) {}
virtual ~IDSApp() {}
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));
// Set up the receive callback
m_socket->SetRecvCallback(MakeCallback(&IDSApp::ReceivePacket, this));
}
virtual void StopApplication()
{
if (m_socket)
{
m_socket->Close();
m_socket = 0;
}
}
void ReceivePacket(Ptr<Socket> socket)
{
Ptr<Packet> packet = socket->Recv();
m_packetsReceived++;
// Simple IDS rule: log packets containing “suspicious”
uint8_t buffer[1024];
packet->CopyData(buffer, packet->GetSize());
std::string receivedMessage((char *)buffer, packet->GetSize());
if (receivedMessage.find(“suspicious”) != std::string::npos)
{
std::cout << “Suspicious packet detected by IDS: ” << receivedMessage << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Suspicious packet detected by IDS: ” + receivedMessage);
}
else
{
std::cout << “Normal packet received by IDS: ” << receivedMessage << std::endl;
LogEvent(“Normal packet received by IDS: ” + receivedMessage);
}
}
Ptr<Socket> m_socket;
Address m_peerAddress;
uint16_t m_peerPort;
uint32_t m_packetsReceived;
};
// 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(5); // Example: 5 nodes (1 client, 1 server, 1 firewall, 1 IDS, 1 threat hunting node)
PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;
pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“1Gbps”));
pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“2ms”));
NetDeviceContainer devices1 = pointToPoint.Install(nodes.Get(0), nodes.Get(4)); // Client to Threat Hunting Node
NetDeviceContainer devices2 = pointToPoint.Install(nodes.Get(4), nodes.Get(3)); // Threat Hunting Node to Firewall
NetDeviceContainer devices3 = pointToPoint.Install(nodes.Get(3), nodes.Get(2)); // Firewall to Server
NetDeviceContainer devices4 = pointToPoint.Install(nodes.Get(4), nodes.Get(1)); // Threat Hunting Node to IDS
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);
address.SetBase(“10.1.3.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces3 = address.Assign(devices3);
address.SetBase(“10.1.4.0”, “255.255.255.0”);
Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces4 = address.Assign(devices4);
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<FirewallApp> firewallApp = CreateObject<FirewallApp>();
firewallApp->Setup(InetSocketAddress(interfaces3.GetAddress(1), port), port);
nodes.Get(3)->AddApplication(firewallApp);
firewallApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(1.0));
firewallApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(60.0));
Ptr<IDSApp> idsApp = CreateObject<IDSApp>();
idsApp->Setup(InetSocketAddress(interfaces4.GetAddress(1), port), port);
nodes.Get(1)->AddApplication(idsApp);
idsApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(1.0));
idsApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(60.0));
Ptr<SecureApp> serverApp = CreateObject<SecureApp>();
serverApp->Setup(InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address::GetAny(), port), port);
nodes.Get(2)->AddApplication(serverApp);
serverApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(1.0));
serverApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(60.0));
// Threat Hunting application
Ptr<ThreatHuntingApp> threatHuntingApp = CreateObject<ThreatHuntingApp>();
threatHuntingApp->Setup();
nodes.Get(4)->AddApplication(threatHuntingApp); // Add threat hunting app to the threat hunting node
threatHuntingApp->SetStartTime(Seconds(2.0));
threatHuntingApp->SetStopTime(Seconds(60.0));
Simulator::Run();
Simulator::Destroy();
return 0;
}
Explanation
- Network Topology:
- The network consists of 5 nodes: a client, a server, a firewall, IDS, and a threat hunting node.
- The client connects to the threat hunting node, which forwards packets through the firewall and IDS to the server.
- Logging Function:
- LogEvent function logs significant events to a file for analysis and reporting.
- ThreatHuntingApp Class:
- This application performs periodic threat hunts.
- Setup method initializes the application.
- StartApplication method schedules the first threat hunt.
- PerformThreatHunt method simulates a threat hunt by checking if the firewall and IDS are active and logging the result. It then schedules the next threat hunt.
- FirewallApp Class:
- This application filters packets based on predefined rules.
- Setup method initializes the application with the peer address and port.
- StartApplication method sets up the socket connection and receives callback.
- ReceivePacket method filters packets and forwards allowed packets.
- IDSApp Class:
- This application monitors traffic for suspicious activity.
- Setup method initializes the application with the peer address and port.
- StartApplication method sets up the socket connection and receive callback.
- ReceivePacket method logs suspicious 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 5 nodes interconnected with point-to-point links.
- Sets up IP addresses for the nodes.
- Initializes the SecureApp, FirewallApp, IDSApp, and ThreatHuntingApp applications on the respective nodes.
- The client sends protected messages, the threat hunting node monitors and logs activities, the firewall filters packets, the IDS monitors’ traffic, 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-threat-hunting main.cc `pkg-config –cflags –libs ns3-dev`
- Run the Simulation: Execute the compiled program:
./ns3-network-threat-hunting
This setup will show a basic implementation of network threat hunting in ns3. We need to expand it to additional concludes more sophisticated threat detection mechanisms, additional nodes, and more complex network topologies as needed.
In the end, we concentrate on how the network threat hunting will perform and analyse the results using the ns3 framework. We also plan to deliver the additional information regarding the network threat hunting. Get some help with implementing network threat hunting in your ns3 simulation. We’ve got performance analysis in this area, so share your details with us for extra support. We’re brimming with fresh project ideas, focusing on emulating networks where nodes actively monitor, detect, and tackle potential security threats for your projects.