How to implement packet injection in OMNeT++

To implement packet injection in OMNeT++ has encompasses to generate a scenario where a node or multiple nodes purposely inject the packets into the network that may not follow to the expected characteristics, to mimic the actions such attacks, testing, or malicious activity. The below are the detailed procedures on how to implement the packet injection in OMNeT++:

Step-by-Step Implementation:

1. Set up OMNeT++ and INET Framework

• Make sure that OMNeT++ and the INET framework are properly installed and configured on system. The INET framework delivers the essential modules for network simulations that contain those that can be used for packet injection.

2. Define the Network Topology

• Initiate by desfine the network topology in a .ned file. This topology will contains the nodes that will be involved in the simulation, like hosts, routers, and the node responsible for injecting packets.

Example:

network PacketInjectionNetwork

{

submodules:

attacker: StandardHost;

normalHost: StandardHost;

router: Router;

connections:

attacker.ethg++ <–> Eth10G <–> router.ethg++;

normalHost.ethg++ <–> Eth10G <–> router.ethg++;

}

3. Create a Custom Packet Injection Module

• We need to inject custom or malformed packets; we need to make a custom module that creates these packets and this includes the writing C++ code that generates and sends packets according to desired specifications.

Example of a simple custom module:

class PacketInjector : public cSimpleModule

{

protected:

virtual void initialize() override;

virtual void handleMessage(cMessage *msg) override;

void injectPacket();

};

void PacketInjector::initialize()

{

// Schedule the first packet injection event

scheduleAt(simTime() + par(“startTime”), new cMessage(“inject”));

}

void PacketInjector::handleMessage(cMessage *msg)

{

if (msg->isSelfMessage()) {

injectPacket();

scheduleAt(simTime() + par(“interval”), msg); // Re-schedule the next injection

} else {

delete msg;

}

}

void PacketInjector::injectPacket()

{

// Create a new packet

auto packet = new cPacket(“InjectedPacket”);

packet->setByteLength(par(“packetSize”));

// Set packet destination, etc.

send(packet, “out”);

}

Define_Module(PacketInjector);

In this example:

• initialize() sets up the first packet injection event.
• handleMessage() manages the injection and schedules future injections.
• injectPacket() creates and sends the packet.

4. Configure the Attacker Node

• In .ini file, configure the attacker node to use the custom packet injection module.

Example:

*.attacker.numApps = 1

*.attacker.app[0].typename = “PacketInjector”

*.attacker.app[0].startTime = 1s

*.attacker.app[0].interval = 0.1s

*.attacker.app[0].packetSize = 512B

This configuration makes sure that the attacker node injects packets into the network starting at 1 second into the simulation and continues every 0.1 seconds.

5. Run the Simulation

• Compile and run OMNeT++ simulation. The attacker node will initiate injecting packets as per configuration.
• We need to monitor the network characteristics that concentrate on how the injected packets affect the normal flow of traffic.

6. Analyse the Results

• Use OMNeT++’s tools to monitor the network, assess how the injected packets affect the performance and characteristics of other nodes.
• We can use packet tracing, logging, or other analysis approaches to regulate the effects of the packet injection.

7. Enhancements and Variations

• Different Types of Packets: Experiment with injecting various kinds of packets, like malformed packets, large packets, or those with incorrect headers.
• Varying Injection Patterns: Modify the injection pattern such as burst injection, random intervals to mimic the various types of attacks or evaluating the scenarios.
• Target Specific Nodes: Direct the injected packets to particular nodes in the network to measure how they respond to unexpected traffic.
• Implement Defense Mechanisms: Add detection mechanisms in the network to classify and react to the injected packets to emulate intrusion detection systems (IDS).

Example Files

We need to create the following files as part of simulation:

• PacketInjectionNetwork.ned: Outlines the network topology.
• omnetpp.ini: Contains configuration settings has contains parameter for the packet injection.
• PacketInjector.cc: Custom C++ code for the packet injection module.

Here, we clearly learned and get knowledge about how the packet injection injects the data and it simulates and identifies the malicious activity using OMNeT++ tool. If you need any details regarding the packet injection we will provide it. Be in touch  with our developers to explore the best simulation and project ideas related to packet injection in the OMNeT++ program. We are here to offer you implementation support, so please share your details with us, and we will provide you with further guidance.