Colluding Jamming Attack on a Grand Coalition by Aggrieved Nodes

Abstract

Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs) are highly vulnerable to insider jamming attacks. Several approaches to detect insider jammers in MANET have been proposed. However, once the insider jammer is detected and removed from the network, it is possible for the insider jammer to leverage the knowledge of insider information to launch a future attack. In this paper, we focus on collaborative smart jamming attacks, where the attackers who have been detected as insider jammers in a MANET, return to attack the MANET based on the knowledge learned. The MANET uses a reputation-based coalition game to detect insider jammers. In the collaborative smart jamming attack, two or more smart jammers will form a coalition to attack the coalitions in the MANET. The smart jammers were detected and then excluded from their initial coalition, they then regrouped to start their own coalition and share previously gained knowledge about legitimate nodes in their erstwhile coalition with the aim of achieving a highly coordinated successful jamming attack on the legitimate coalition. The success of the attack largely depends on the insider jammer’s collective knowledge about the MANET. We present a technique to appropriately represent knowledge gathered by insider jammers which would lead to a successful attack. Simulation results in NS2 depict that coalition of jammers can leverage past knowledge to successfully attack MANET.