Countering jamming attacks against an authentication and key agreement protocol for mobile satellite communications

Abstract

The radio-based medium of satellite communication systems is vulnerable to interference on physical channels: unintentional interferences occur frequently and jamming attacks can be achieved using low-grade technology. While application layer security protocols cannot defend against denial of service (DoS) attacks where the attacker jams continuously, effective security protocols ensure that communication can continue after such interference has stopped. This paper analyses an authentication and key agreement protocol for satellite communications. The presented analysis reveals that the protocol is susceptible to a new DoS attack, where attackers jam a single message to achieve a permanent DoS condition. A new authentication and key agreement protocol is proposed that additionally addresses the scenario where messages send over the mobile satellite channel may not reach their intended recipient due to accidental or malicious interference. Analysis of the new protocol demonstrates that it is effective in countering the disruptive effects of jamming.