Formal Specification and Verification of MQTT Protocol Using CoQ Proof Assistant

Because of its efficiency and lightweight design, the Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol is widely used in Internet of Things (loT) and messaging systems. However, despite its widespread use, guaranteeing the correctness and reliability of MQTT implementations remains a challenge. While model checking has been used to specify and verify properties of MQTT systems, there is a notable absence of formal verification using theorem proving methods such as the Coq proof assistant. This research attempts to fill this gap by formalizing and verifying the MQTT protocol in Coq. This article opens up a new field of study, paving the way for more rigorous verification techniques and enhancing the robustness and reliability of MQTT-based systems through a formalisation of the protocol main concepts and the demonstration of safety properties.