Adaptive Mitigation of Blackhole Attacks in Blockchain-Enhanced Software Defined Networks

Abstract

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Blockchain (BC) are transformative technologies reshaping network management and security, utilizing their synergies. SDN's centralized control enhances flexibility and efficiency but introduces vulnerabilities due to its single point of control. With its decentralized and immutable ledger, BC offers a solution by distributing control and providing a tamper-proof audit trail. This paper integrates these technologies to address blackhole attacks-a critical vulnerability where compromised SDN controllers disrupt network performance. We propose Blockchain-Enhanced SDN for Adaptive Path Finding (BeS4APF) algorithm against blackhole attacks in the multidomain SDNs. The algorithm maintains a high Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) by dynamically adjusting network paths in response to node failures. The BeS4APF algorithm presented effectively maintains a high PDR by dynamically adjusting paths in response to node failures. The methodology involves monitoring the network, detecting compromised nodes, and recalculating optimal paths using Dijkstra's algorithm and node-disjoint path selection. Experiments with synthetic networks of varying sizes (from 60 to 120 domains) demonstrate that the algorithm successfully handles domain-compromising node attacks, maintaining high PDR even with increasing stochastic disruptions. Our preliminary results show that, while PDR slightly deviates and recovers in smaller networks, it stabilizes towards almost 100% in larger networks after initial adjustments. This work advances the integration of SDN and BC, offering a robust approach to securing modern networks against evolving stochastic attack scenarios and threats.