Hierarchical node replication attacks detection in wireless sensors networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are composed of a large number of low-cost, low-power, and multi-functional sensor nodes that communicate at short distance through wireless links. They are usually deployed in an open and uncontrolled environment where attackers may be present. Due to the use of low-cost materials, hardware components are not tamper-resistant and an adversary could access a sensor´s internal state. An adversary can easily capture even a single node and inserts duplicated nodes at any location in the network. If no specific detection mechanisms are established, the attacker could lead many insidious attacks such as subverting data aggregation protocols by injecting false data, revoking legitimate nodes and disconnecting the network if the replicated nodes are judiciously placed at chosen locations. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical distributed algorithm for detecting node replication attacks using a Bloom filter mechanism and a cluster head selection, we also introduce the adequate network replies in case of detection. We also present simulation results for random topologies and show that our algorithm is able to detect replication attacks in all cases.