How to Implement sniffer attack in ns3

To implement a sniffer attack in ns3, there are some steps to follow, When the network packets traverse capturing and analyzing needs to be done in the network packets.

The following steps will guide to implement sniffer attack in ns3.

Steps to Implement a Password Sniffing Attack in ns-3

1. Set Up ns3 Environment:
   • Make sure ns3 is installed on the system.
   • Install necessary dependencies.
2. Create a New ns-3 Script:
   • Create a new script file in the scratch directory of ns3, e.g., sniffer_attack.cc.
3. Include Necessary Headers:
   • Include the necessary ns3 headers in the script.
4. Define Network Topology:
   •  For the simulation process we need to set up a network topology, which uses helper classes to create nodes, channels, and install network stacks.
5. Install Applications:
   • Install traffic-generating applications on the nodes. Use UdpEchoServer, UdpEchoClient, or other ns3 applications to generate traffic.
6. Create the Sniffer Node:
   • Add a node that will act as the sniffer. This node will capture and analyze traffic.
7. Capture Packets:
   • Use the Packet::AddPacketTag, Packet::PeekPacketTag, and Packet::RemovePacketTag methods to tag and capture packets.
   • Use pcap tracing or a custom packet sink to capture packets at the sniffer node.
8. Analyze Captured Traffic:
   •  To analyze the captured traffic a logic should be included for analyzing packet headers, timestamps, sizes, and inter-arrival times to infer information about the communication pattern.
9. Run the Simulation:
   • Set the simulation time and run the simulation using Simulator::Run() and Simulator::Destroy().

Here is a basic simplified example to implement sniffer attack in ns3:

#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 “ns3/packet-sink.h”

#include “ns3/flow-monitor-module.h”

using namespace ns3;

NS_LOG_COMPONENT_DEFINE (“SnifferAttack”);

int main (int argc, char *argv[])

{

// Set up the logging

LogComponentEnable (“SnifferAttack”, LOG_LEVEL_INFO);

// Create nodes

NodeContainer nodes;

nodes.Create (3); // Two normal nodes and one sniffer node

// Create the point-to-point link

PointToPointHelper pointToPoint;

pointToPoint.SetDeviceAttribute (“DataRate”, StringValue (“5Mbps”));

pointToPoint.SetChannelAttribute (“Delay”, StringValue (“2ms”));

// Install devices and channels

NetDeviceContainer devices;

devices = pointToPoint.Install (nodes.Get(0), nodes.Get(1));

devices.Add(pointToPoint.Install (nodes.Get(1), nodes.Get(2))); // Sniffer connected to one of the nodes

// Install the internet stack

InternetStackHelper stack;

stack.Install (nodes);

// Assign IP addresses

Ipv4AddressHelper address;

address.SetBase (“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

Ipv4InterfaceContainer interfaces = address.Assign (devices);

// Install applications on nodes

uint16_t port = 9; // Discard port (RFC 863)

// Server application

UdpEchoServerHelper echoServer (port);

ApplicationContainer serverApps = echoServer.Install (nodes.Get (1));

serverApps.Start (Seconds (1.0));

serverApps.Stop (Seconds (10.0));

 

// Client application

UdpEchoClientHelper echoClient (interfaces.GetAddress (1), port);

echoClient.SetAttribute (“MaxPackets”, UintegerValue (100));

echoClient.SetAttribute (“Interval”, TimeValue (Seconds (0.1)));

echoClient.SetAttribute (“PacketSize”, UintegerValue (1024));

ApplicationContainer clientApps = echoClient.Install (nodes.Get (0));

clientApps.Start (Seconds (2.0));

clientApps.Stop (Seconds (10.0));

// Capture packets at the sniffer node

pointToPoint.EnablePcap (“sniffer”, devices.Get(2), true);

// Run simulation

Simulator::Run ();

Simulator::Destroy ();

return 0;

}

Explanation:

1. Nodes and Links:
   • Created 3 nodes: two normal nodes and one sniffer node.
   • Configured point-to-point links between the nodes.
2. Applications:
   • Installed a UDP echo server on one of the normal nodes.
   • Installed a UDP echo client on the other normal node to generate traffic.
3. Packet Capture:
   • Enabled pcap tracing on the sniffer’s network device to capture the traffic.
4. Traffic Analysis:
   • To implement the actual traffic analysis use a separate script or module to processes the captured pcap files.

The implementation of sniffer attack includes a custom packet sink to capture packets at the sniffer node and the network packets for simulating the captured traffic.

Getting confused about your sniffer attack project then reach us out at  ns3simulation.com for best system development help.