Sybil Attack Detection on ITS-V2X System using a Realistic Traffic Model-based Approach

The V2X system is a vehicular communication network developed for ITS based-on information technology. The ITS-V2X system can enable the provision of reliable and real-time information flow to increase traffic efficiency, driving comfort, and safety while also enabling internet connectivity in vehicles. However, the ITS-V2X system is very vulnerable to attacks, infiltration, and sabotage from various irresponsible individuals. A Sybil attack is a type of malicious attack that uses a structured, systematic, and massive force to disrupt a communication system. This attack works by replicating and multiplying fake nodes with multiple identities according to the attacker's goals. Sybil's nodes will be acting as a group of vehicles with other vehicles in the transmission area. These nodes are not only visible but also capable of sending fake messages to their neighbors. This work proposes an approach allowing the detection of Sybil attacks using a realistic traffic model-based approach. This approach considers the benefits of real vehicle movement and the degree of freedom of vehicle mobility based on several attributes and parameters of the road network topology. The results show this approach can detect and classify vehicles that are Sybil's nodes or real cars by comparing the current speed prevalence of each vehicle with the estimated approximate vehicle speed generated from a realistic traffic model. The other finding result shows this approach is also able to discover the attack detection loads based on the level of traffic density.