THE EFFECT OF VAMPIRE ATTACKS ON DISTANCE VECTOR ROUTING PROTOCOLS FOR WIRELESS AD HOC SENSOR NETWORKS

The aim of this project is to define Vampire attacks, a new class of resource consumption attacks that use distance vector routing protocols to permanently disable ad hoc wireless sensor networks by depleting nodes’ battery power. A node is permanently disabled once its battery power is exhausted; let us briefly consider nodes that recharge their batteries in the field, using either continuous charging or switching between active and recharge cycles. In the continuous charging case, power-draining attacks would be effective only if the adversary is able to consume power at least as fast as nodes can recharge. Assuming that packet processing drains at least as much energy from the victims as from the attacker, a continuously recharging adversary can keep at least one node permanently disabled at the cost of its own functionality. Dual-cycle networks are equally vulnerable to Vampires during active duty as long as the Vampire’s cycle switching is in sync with other nodes. Vampire attacks may be weakened by using groups of nodes with staggered cycles: only active-duty nodes are vulnerable while the Vampire is active; nodes are safe while the Vampire sleeps. However, this defense is only effective when duty cycle groups out number Vampires, since it only takes one Vampire per group to carry out the attack.