Ecology-Based DoS Attack in Cognitive Radio Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel ecology-inspired DoS attack in cognitive radio networks, where malicious users manipulate spectrum sharing behaviors, leading to network collapse, analyzed through stochastic geometry and evolutionary game theory.

Contribution

It presents a new attack model based on ecological analogy, using stochastic geometry and evolutionary game theory to analyze vulnerabilities in spectrum sharing.

Findings

Identifies fragile operating regions for network collapse.

Models malicious influence on spectrum sharing behaviors.

Analyzes mutual interference using stochastic geometry.

Abstract

Cognitive radio technology, which is designed to enhance spectrum utilization, depends on the success of opportunistic access, where secondary users (SUs) exploit spectrum void unoccupied by primary users (PUs) for transmissions. We note that the system behaviors are very similar to the interactions among different species coexisting in an ecosystem. However, SUs of a selfish nature or of misleading information may make concurrent transmissions with PUs for additional incentives, and thus disrupt the entire ecosystem. By exploiting this vulnerability, this paper proposes a novel distributed denial-of-service (DoS) attack where invasive species, i.e., malicious users (MUs), induce originally normal-behaved SUs to execute concurrent transmissions with PUs and thus collapse the cognitive radio network. We adopt stochastic geometry to model the spatial distributions of PUs, SUs, and MUs for the analysis of the mutual interference among them. The access strategy of each SU in the spectrum sharing ecosystem, which evolves with the experienced payoffs and interference, is modeled by an evolutionary game. Based on the evolutionary stable strategy concept, we could efficiently identify the fragile operating region at which normal-behaved SUs are eventually evolved to conduct concurrent transmissions and thus to cause the ruin of the network.