Impact of Optimal MAC Layer Attacks on the Network Layer

Node misbehavior in wireless ad hoc networks leads to sudden unpredictable changes in network topology, resulting in fluctuation of traffic load and capacity for already existing links. In this work we consider node misbehavior in the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer and its effects on the performance of the network layer. In order to capture uncertainty of the attacker’s strategy as well as the unpredictable nature of the wireless medium, we quantify the optimal attack strategy by using the principle of minimum cross entropy. Following that, we apply the obtained results for analysis of the IEEE 802.11 DCF MAC protocol and investigate the effects of such optimal attacks on the network layer. Finally, we evaluate the robustness of two different routing protocols against the worst-case MAC layer attacks and justify the need for the MAC layer-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).