Containerization-based unmanned aerial vehicle safety simulation test system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle safety and network safety testing, in particular to an unmanned aerial vehicle safety simulation testing system and method based on containerization. The system comprises a container module group which comprises a plurality of modules, the modules are mutually communicated through a virtual network and are used for simulating different function units of an unmanned aerial vehicle system, and the container module group comprises a flight control module, an accompanying calculation module, a ground control module and a simulation environment module; the linkage control module is in communication connection with each module in the container module group, and the linkage control module comprises a flight state management unit and an attack scene library; the flight state management unit is used for managing the execution process of the unmanned aerial vehicle simulation task according to a plurality of predefined continuous flight stages; the attack scene library is provided with a plurality of attack scene modules; and the linkage control module is configured to respond to the current flight stage determined by the flight state management unit, and select and trigger the attack scene module executed in the current flight stage from the attack scene library.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of drone security and cybersecurity testing technology, and in particular to a containerized drone security simulation testing system and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing application of drones in civilian inspection, industrial monitoring, and national defense, the security risks they face are becoming increasingly prominent, such as flight loss of control due to communication hijacking, functional abnormalities caused by firmware tampering, and wireless link data leakage. These risks pose a serious threat to the security and reliability of drone systems, urgently requiring drone security testing solutions to support the research on drone system vulnerabilities and the verification of protection technologies.

[0003] However, existing drone safety testing methods have the following problems:

[0004] 1. High hardware dependence: Traditional testing methods rely on physical drone hardware, and the procurement and maintenance costs of a single set of equipment are high, exceeding ten thousand yuan. In addition, attacks during the testing process may cause hardware damage or uncontrolled flight, posing physical safety hazards, which makes large-scale promotion and application difficult.

[0005] 2. Insufficient modularity of simulation platforms: Most existing drone simulation tools adopt a monolithic architecture, with core functions such as flight control, communication links and ground stations tightly coupled, making it difficult to expand to new attack scenarios or adapt to different types of drone firmware as needed, thus limiting the platform's flexibility and scalability.

[0006] 3. Insufficient realism in wireless communication simulation: Most simulation schemes only implement basic MAVLink data transmission functions, failing to reproduce the wireless communication environment of real drones. This leads to a disconnect between the test scenario and actual application, making it impossible to effectively verify the security protection capabilities at the wireless link layer.

[0007] 4. Lack of linkage between flight status and attack scenarios: The existing testing platform has not established a mechanism to link the typical flight stages of the drone with attack scenarios, making it impossible to simulate "targeted attacks under specific flight states". The test coverage is limited and it is difficult to fully expose system security vulnerabilities.

[0008] 5. Poor resource compatibility: Some high-fidelity simulation tools have high requirements for hardware GPU performance and can only run on high-performance physical machines. They cannot be adapted to low-configuration virtual machines or lightweight terminals, which limits the application of the platform in education, training and other scenarios.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a brand-new drone safety simulation testing system. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To address the aforementioned technical issues, this application provides a containerized UAV safety simulation testing system and method, which can improve scalability and flexibility while reducing hardware dependence and testing costs.

[0011] In a first aspect, this application provides a containerized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) safety simulation and testing system, comprising: a container module group, wherein the container module group includes multiple modules, and each module is interconnected through a virtual network for simulating different functional units of the UAV system, the container module group including: a flight control module for running UAV flight control software and simulating flight control logic through a software-in-the-loop simulation interface; an accompanying computing module for providing wireless network access management and data relay functions; and a ground control module for providing flight mission planning, status monitoring, and command input;

[0012] The simulation environment module is used to load a physical simulation engine according to the simulation mode to generate a virtual flight environment for the UAV. The linkage control module is communicatively connected to each module in the container module group. The linkage control module includes a flight state management unit and an attack scenario library. The flight state management unit is used to manage the execution flow of the UAV simulation task according to multiple predefined continuous flight stages. The attack scenario library has multiple attack scenario modules. The linkage control module is configured to select and trigger the attack scenario module to be executed in the current flight stage from the attack scenario library in response to the current flight stage determined by the flight state management unit.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments, the virtual network includes: a simulated infrastructure network for connecting the flight control module, the accompanying computing module, the ground control module, and the simulation environment module, simulating communication links between internal components of the unmanned aerial vehicle system; and a simulated wireless data link network for establishing a simulated wireless communication channel between the accompanying computing module and the ground control module.

[0014] Optionally, in some embodiments, the simulation environment module includes: a full simulation mode for loading the Gazebo 3D physics engine to perform three-dimensional simulation; and a simplified simulation mode for calling the 2D simulation engine within the UAV flight control software to calculate core flight dynamics; wherein the full simulation mode and the simplified simulation mode can be switched between each other.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments, the flight phase includes: an initial start-up phase, an unlock take-off phase, an automatic flight phase, an emergency response phase, and a mission completion phase.

[0016] Optionally, in some embodiments, the attack scenario module of the attack scenario library includes one or more of the following scenarios: reconnaissance, protocol tampering, denial-of-service, injection, data theft, and firmware attack.

[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments, the reconnaissance scenario is triggered in the initial startup phase or the automatic flight phase; the protocol tampering scenario and the data theft scenario are triggered in the automatic flight phase; the denial-of-service scenario is triggered in any of the flight phases; the injection scenario is triggered in the unlock takeoff phase or the automatic flight phase; and the firmware attack scenario is triggered in the initial startup phase.

[0018] Optionally, in some embodiments, the attack scenario module includes multiple modules, and each attack scenario module has one or more flight phases.

[0019] Optionally, in some embodiments, the accompanying computing module further includes: a virtual wireless access point for creating a simulated wireless network and / or simulating the video acquisition and forwarding functions of the camera mounted on the UAV.

[0020] Optionally, in some embodiments, the UAV security simulation testing system further includes: a Web management interface, which is communicatively connected to the linkage control module; the Web management interface includes a configuration management area and a test control area, wherein the configuration management area is used to configure the simulation mode of the virtual network and the simulation environment module; the test control area is used to receive user instructions to control the flight status management unit to switch flight phases, and when the linkage control module triggers an attack scenario, it provides an entry point for selecting attack scenarios and setting parameters, as well as an entry point for generating and displaying test reports.

[0021] Secondly, this application also provides a containerized drone security simulation testing method, applicable to any of the containerized drone security simulation testing systems described above, comprising:

[0022] Initialize each module in the container module group to establish a UAV simulation environment. The container module group includes a flight control module, a companion computing module, a ground control module, and a simulation environment module.

[0023] Based on multiple preset continuous flight phases, the flight status management unit drives the flight control module to cooperate with the simulation environment module to execute the UAV simulation task and determine the current flight phase;

[0024] Based on the current flight phase, and according to the predefined mapping relationship between flight phases and attack scenarios, an attack scenario module matching the current flight phase is selected from the attack scenario library.

[0025] The selected attack scenario module is triggered and executed to perform security tests on the corresponding modules in the container module group.

[0026] The technical solution provided in this application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0027] The containerized UAV security simulation testing system provided in this application embodiment achieves decoupling and collaborative operation of the functional units of the UAV system through container module groups. These include a flight control module, an accompanying computing module, a ground control module, and a simulation environment module. The flight control module simulates flight control logic through a software-in-the-loop simulation interface; the accompanying computing module provides wireless network access management and data relay functions; the ground control module is responsible for flight mission planning, status monitoring, and command input; and the simulation environment module loads a physical simulation engine to generate a virtual flight environment based on the simulation mode. A linkage control module communicates with each module in the container module group and includes a flight status management unit and a flight status management unit within the attack scenario library linkage control module. The simulation mission flow is managed according to predefined flight phases, and the attack scenario library provides various attack scenario modules. The linkage control module responds to the current flight phase, selects and triggers the corresponding attack scenario module, achieving linkage between flight status and attack scenarios. The containerized UAV security simulation testing system provided in this application embodiment can improve scalability and flexibility while reducing hardware dependence and testing costs. Furthermore, the UAV security simulation testing system can be applied to various scenarios such as network security attack and defense training and firmware vulnerability verification. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the containerized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) safety simulation and testing system provided in this application embodiment;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the container module group provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 3The virtual communication network topology diagram provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4 The flight phase state transition flowchart provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 5 The attack scenario linkage trigger schematic diagram provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 6 The Web management interface schematic diagram provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 7 The flowchart of the containerized UAV security simulation test method provided by the embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0037] In order to more clearly understand the above objects, features and advantages of the present application, the solution of the present application will be further described below. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0038] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application, but the present application may be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only some embodiments of the present application, rather than all embodiments.

[0039] The network anomaly detection method, system, device and storage medium based on two-dimensional spatio-temporal prediction and behavior flow compression provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of example. Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of the containerized UAV security simulation test system provided by the embodiment of the present application. Refer to Figure 1 , the containerized UAV security simulation test system 10 includes:

[0040] The container module group 11, the container module group 11 includes a plurality of modules, and each of the modules is interconnected through a virtual network and is used to respectively simulate different functional units of the UAV system. The container module group includes:

[0041] The flight control module is used to run the UAV flight control software and simulate the flight control logic through the software-in-the-loop simulation interface; the accompanying computing module is used to provide wireless network access management and data relay functions;

[0042] The ground control module provides flight mission planning, status monitoring, and command input; the simulation environment module loads a physical simulation engine according to the simulation mode to generate a virtual flight environment for the UAV; the linkage control module 12 communicates with each module in the container module group 11, and includes: a flight status management unit and an attack scenario library; the flight status management unit manages the execution flow of the UAV simulation mission according to multiple predefined continuous flight stages; the attack scenario library has multiple attack scenario modules; wherein, the linkage control module 12 is configured to select and trigger the attack scenario module to be executed in the current flight stage from the attack scenario library in response to the current flight stage determined by the flight status management unit.

[0043] Specifically, the container module group 11 is the core of the UAV safety simulation test system 10. The container module group 11 can be composed of multiple functional modules, and the modules can be interconnected through a virtual network to form a UAV simulation test environment.

[0044] Container module group 11 can be containerized using Docker, decoupling the core functions of the UAV system into four independent container modules. These modules interconnect via pre-defined static IPs, and each module has an independent configuration interface and status monitoring capabilities. Each module can encapsulate specific functions to simulate different components within the UAV system. Container module group 11 may include a flight control module, a companion computing module, a ground control module, and a simulation environment module. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the container module group provided in an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 2 The flight control module, acting as the "flight brain," can simulate the flight control logic of the UAV, including calculating flight attitude based on virtual gyroscope and accelerometer data, adjusting the speed and power distribution of virtual motors according to flight commands, and calculating and planning flight paths according to preset routes. It supports loading multiple ArduPilot (Ardu flight controllers) to adapt to the testing needs of different aircraft models. It provides a parameter configuration interface, allowing users to customize flight parameters to meet the parameter adjustment needs of different testing scenarios. It can also send raw telemetry data to the accompanying computing module in real time, receive and execute control commands from the ground control module, and respond to the physical simulation data from the simulation environment module.

[0045] The accompanying computation module can be, for example, as follows: Figure 2The communication interruption module shown, along with the computing module, acts as a "data relay station and wireless manager," including wireless network management (such as creating virtual APs, allowing ground control modules to access, and supporting encryption mode switching), camera stream processing (such as simulating video capture from a drone mounted on a camera and forwarding it to the ground control module via the RTSP protocol), and telemetry data parsing. It can also provide a web management interface, supporting viewing a list of wirelessly connected devices, real-time preview of camera streams, and telemetry data statistics. When the simulated wireless link is interrupted, it can automatically cache telemetry data and retransmit it after the network is restored, ensuring no data loss.

[0046] Ground control modules, for example, can be accessed via... Figure 2 The ground control station shown here serves as the operator's terminal for test personnel. It provides a visual flight control and test operation interface, including mission planning (such as drawing flight paths via a map interface and setting waypoint altitudes and dwell times), flight status monitoring (such as real-time display of flight attitude, position, and sensor data, and support for viewing historical data in charts), control command transmission (such as manually clicking buttons to send unlock, takeoff, and return commands), and test record viewing (such as viewing flight logs and attack operation records). The integrated MAVProxy (MAVLink proxy) tool supports data forwarding and filtering, and can filter specific types of MAVLink data packets (such as control command packets and telemetry data packets), facilitating test personnel's analysis of the protocol interaction process.

[0047] The simulation environment module can be, for example, as follows: Figure 2 The simulator shown features a simulation environment module that can simulate the physical environment and motion states of a drone during flight, providing simulations of varying precision depending on the operating mode. It also offers a web-based management console, allowing users to adjust environmental parameters, view simulation progress, and receive real-time physical data feedback to the flight control module.

[0048] The linkage control module 12 may include a flight status management unit and an attack scenario library to achieve precise control of the UAV simulation task and dynamic triggering of attack scenarios. The flight status management unit can define and manage the entire lifecycle of the UAV simulation task, including multiple consecutive flight phases such as takeoff, cruise, mission execution, return to home, and landing. Furthermore, the flight status management unit can monitor the current flight status and adjust the execution flow of the simulation task based on real-time feedback from the UAV. For example, if the UAV encounters an emergency while performing a mission, the flight status management unit can automatically trigger corresponding emergency response measures, such as emergency return to home or hovering.

[0049] The attack scenario library is a collection of various attack scenario modules that can simulate various security threats and attack scenarios that drones may encounter, such as GPS spoofing, signal interference, and data tampering. In practical applications, the attack scenario library can be categorized and encapsulated into several major categories of scenarios based on attack type. Each scenario includes a detailed testing process. For example, in a GPS spoofing scenario, the target flight stage must be selected, false coordinates must be set, and the attack must be triggered. Verification methods include checking whether the drone deviates from the preset flight path through the ground control module. Risk ratings include high risk for firmware tampering scenarios and low risk for Wi-Fi analysis scenarios. The scenario library supports expansion, allowing the addition of custom attack scenarios, and the configuration of their triggering conditions and verification logic.

[0050] The linkage control module 12 can automatically select an attack scenario module suitable for the current flight stage from the attack scenario library based on the current flight stage of the UAV determined by the flight status management unit, so that the selected attack scenario module matches the real-time status and flight environment of the UAV.

[0051] Optionally, in some embodiments, the virtual network may include: a simulated infrastructure network for connecting the flight control module, the accompanying computing module, the ground control module, and the simulation environment module, simulating communication links between internal components of the unmanned aerial vehicle system; and a simulated wireless data link network for establishing a simulated wireless communication channel between the accompanying computing module and the ground control module.

[0052] Specifically, virtual networks can provide connectivity for interactions between various modules by simulating the communication environment of a real drone system. Figure 3 The virtual communication network topology diagram provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 3 In the simulation environment, the internal infrastructure network area connects the flight control module, accompanying computing module, ground control module, and simulation environment module via virtual switch A, while the simulation data link area connects the simulation environment module via virtual switch B, thus forming a complete simulation test environment. (Refer to...) Figure 3 Virtual networks include: analog infrastructure networks and analog wireless data link networks.

[0053] The simulated infrastructure network is the core of the internal infrastructure network, responsible for connecting the flight control module, accompanying computing module, ground control module, and simulation environment module, simulating the communication links between internal components of the UAV system.

[0054] The simulated wireless data link network establishes a simulated wireless communication channel between the accompanying computing module and the ground control module, simulating wireless data transmission between the UAV and the ground station, such as signal transmission, reception, and possible interference, thereby testing the performance and stability of the UAV in a real wireless environment.

[0055] In practical applications, the simulated infrastructure network can use the 10.13.0.0 / 24 network segment for internal data interaction between the four core modules mentioned above. It mainly transmits key information such as flight control commands, raw telemetry data, and simulation parameters. This network is a private link and does not enable encryption mechanisms, simulating direct communication between internal components of the UAV system to ensure low latency data transmission and meet the real-time requirements of flight control.

[0056] The simulated wireless data link network can use the 192.168.13.0 / 24 network segment for wireless communication between the ground control container module and the accompanying computing container module, simulating the wireless connection between a real UAV and a ground station. It supports two encryption modes: WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) such as 64-bit or 128-bit keys and WPA2 (PSK pre-shared key), and the encryption type can be switched through the configuration interface. The virtual Wi-Fi interface can be configured through the container privilege mode to simulate the attack surface of a real wireless environment, including signal interception, WEP / WPA2 key encryption cracking, simulating multi-device interference scenarios, and sending false wireless signals to interfere with the link.

[0057] Optionally, in some embodiments, the simulation environment module includes: a full simulation mode for loading the Gazebo 3D physics engine to perform three-dimensional simulation; and a simplified simulation mode for calling the 2D simulation engine within the UAV flight control software to calculate core flight dynamics; wherein the full simulation mode and the simplified simulation mode can be switched between each other.

[0058] Specifically, the full simulation mode can construct realistic terrain and weather environments using the Gazebo (high-fidelity) 3D physics engine, supporting collision detection. The simplified simulation mode can calculate core flight dynamics using a 2D simulation engine, ensuring the correctness of basic flight logic. Furthermore, by linking environment variables and configuration files, adaptive switching between the full and simplified simulation modes can be achieved, ensuring stable operation on both high-performance and low-configuration devices.

[0059] In practical applications, when the environment variable "level" is set to "0", "false", or not configured in the full simulation mode, the simulation environment module automatically loads the Gazebo 3D physics engine to simulate real terrain (such as plains and mountains), weather conditions (such as wind and rain), and physical characteristics (such as collision detection and power attenuation). The drone model can use the iris quadcopter and supports the addition of components such as virtual cameras and GPS sensors. The simulation accuracy is high and it can simulate high-fidelity scene tests.

[0060] When the simplified simulation mode sets the environment variable "level" to "1", "true", or "yes", the simulation environment module can use ArduPilot's built-in 2D simulation engine, retaining only core flight dynamics calculations such as attitude control and position updates, without loading 3D terrain and visualization models. This mode has low resource consumption, does not require GPU support, and can run on virtual machines and low-configuration laptops for basic attack testing or large-scale training scenarios.

[0061] The switching between full simulation mode and simplified simulation mode can be set through the platform management interface or the startup script. The configuration command is synchronized to all modules in container module group 11 in real time. During the switching process, the current flight status is automatically saved. After the mode switch is completed, the flight process is resumed. At the same time, the simulation environment module can automatically adjust the data output frequency according to the mode to ensure data synchronization of each module.

[0062] For example, the flight phase includes: initial start-up phase, unlock take-off phase, automatic flight phase, emergency response phase, and mission end phase.

[0063] Specifically, during the initial startup phase, each component of the UAV system performs a self-test, including the flight control unit, sensors, and communication modules. The system loads the necessary firmware and parameter configurations, and completes sensor initialization and calibration. For example, the initial startup phase status is set to "Disabled" by default, and after initialization, the status updates to "Completed," indicating that the UAV is ready to enter the next phase.

[0064] The takeoff phase can be initiated by a ground control module (such as a ground control station) sending an unlock command to activate the power system and complete the takeoff maneuver at a preset altitude. The status can include "Disabled", "Active", and "Completed". It can only be activated when the current phase is "Completed". After takeoff, the status is updated to "Completed", at which point the UAV is in the air and ready to enter the automatic flight phase.

[0065] During the automatic flight phase, the UAV can fly automatically according to the route pre-planned by the ground control module, and supports real-time adjustment of waypoints. The state switching logic is the same as that of the unlocked takeoff phase, and the UAV executes the flight mission according to the instructions of the ground control module. After all waypoints are completed, the state switches to "Completed", indicating that the automatic flight mission has been completed.

[0066] During the emergency response phase, upon receiving an emergency command (such as low battery or link interruption) or upon manual triggering, the drone can automatically return to its takeoff point and land. The emergency response phase status can include "Disabled," "Active," and "Completed," and cross-phase triggering is supported. After the emergency response is completed, the status updates to "Completed," ensuring a safe landing for the drone.

[0067] After the mission is completed, flight logs and attack test records can be automatically compiled to generate a test report. The default status at the end of the mission is "Disabled", which switches to "Completed" after data processing is complete.

[0068] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the flight phase state transitions provided in this application embodiment. (Refer to...) Figure 4 During the initial startup phase, the power supply and system of the drone are initialized. During the sensor calibration phase, all sensors are calibrated and checked to ensure the accuracy and reliability of data acquisition. After calibration, the unlock takeoff operation is performed to release the safety mechanism of the drone and prepare it for takeoff.

[0069] After the drone successfully takes off and enters a stable flight state, it will be determined whether the drone has reached the preset altitude. If it has reached the preset altitude, the drone will switch to the automatic flight phase and perform autonomous navigation and flight tasks according to the preset flight plan.

[0070] During flight, the flight status will be continuously monitored. If any abnormality is detected or an emergency command is received, the emergency return procedure will be triggered immediately, enabling the drone to perform a safe return operation.

[0071] During the data processing phase, all data generated during the flight is collected, analyzed, and stored to facilitate the optimization of subsequent flight missions.

[0072] For example, the attack scenario module of the attack scenario library includes one or more of the following scenarios: reconnaissance, protocol tampering, denial of service, injection, data theft, and firmware attack.

[0073] Specifically, the attack scenario library is a collection of test cases, categorized by attack type. Each scenario can also include a test process. Reconnaissance scenarios can simulate attackers' information gathering behavior on drone systems, such as obtaining sensitive information about drone operation and configuration through Wi-Fi network analysis, MAVLink protocol parsing, or flight log extraction.

[0074] Protocol tampering scenarios can involve attacks on drone communication protocols, such as GPS spoofing and MAVLink command forgery. The aim is to interfere with the drone's normal communication during missions, resulting in incorrect navigation or control commands.

[0075] Denial-of-service scenarios can overwhelm a drone system by sending a large number of requests or data packets, such as Wi-Fi anti-authentication attacks or MAVLink packet flooding, causing the drone to be unable to handle flight missions or communications normally.

[0076] In injection-type scenarios, attackers can inject malicious code or instructions into drone systems, such as MAVLink instruction injection or firmware parameter injection, which may cause the drone to perform unexpected operations or be completely controlled.

[0077] Data theft scenarios can simulate attackers attempting to intercept data transmitted by the drone, such as camera stream hijacking or telemetry data leakage. Firmware attack scenarios can include attacks such as firmware decompilation and firmware tampering, which attackers may use to disrupt the drone's startup process or alter its behavior.

[0078] It is understood that the above descriptions of various attack scenarios are merely exemplary. In practical applications, those skilled in the art can select and set various attack scenarios according to actual needs, as long as the technical principles of this application can be achieved.

[0079] Optionally, in some embodiments, the reconnaissance scenario is triggered in the initial startup phase or the automatic flight phase; the protocol tampering scenario and the data theft scenario are triggered in the automatic flight phase; the denial-of-service scenario is triggered in any of the flight phases; the injection scenario is triggered in the unlock takeoff phase or the automatic flight phase; and the firmware attack scenario is triggered in the initial startup phase.

[0080] Specifically, reconnaissance scenarios are used to simulate the behavior of attackers collecting information during the initial startup phase or automatic flight phase of a drone. This involves analyzing the drone's communication patterns, listening to telemetry data, or parsing flight logs to obtain sensitive information, such as the drone's flight plan, operating habits, or system configuration.

[0081] Protocol tampering scenarios involve attacks on the drone's communication protocol during the drone's automatic flight phase, such as GPS spoofing and MAVLink command forgery. These attacks interfere with the drone's normal operation by sending forged signals or commands, causing navigation errors or performing unexpected flight maneuvers.

[0082] Data theft scenarios are triggered during the autonomous flight phase of the drone. During this phase, the drone autonomously executes tasks according to a preset flight plan, such as cruising, monitoring, or data collection. At this time, the system may be in an open communication state, and the protection against external attacks may be relatively weak.

[0083] Denial-of-service scenarios overload the system by sending a large number of requests or data packets during any flight phase of the drone (including initial startup, unlocking for takeoff, autonomous flight, emergency handling, etc.), thereby preventing the drone from properly processing flight tasks or communication.

[0084] Injection scenarios simulate an attacker injecting malicious code or instructions into the drone system during the unlocking for takeoff phase or the autonomous flight phase. By injecting malicious instructions, the attacker can control the drone or make it perform unexpected operations, such as changing the flight path or controlling the hardware of the drone.

[0085] Firmware attack scenarios are triggered during the initial startup phase of the drone, simulating an attacker attacking the drone firmware, such as firmware decompilation and firmware tampering. By modifying the firmware, the attacker can disrupt the startup process of the drone or change its behavior.

[0086] Optionally, in some embodiments, there are multiple attack scenario modules, and each attack scenario module is provided with one or more of the above-mentioned flight phases.

[0087] Specifically, the attack scenario module can simulate various network attacks on the drone, thereby evaluating the security and stability of the drone during different flight phases. The attack scenario module can run independently or be used in combination, and can cover various threats encountered by the drone at different stages. Through this configuration and simulation, the attack scenario module can provide a more comprehensive test for the security protection of the drone.

[0088] Figure 5 This is the schematic diagram of the linked trigger of the attack scenarios provided by the embodiments of the present application. Refer to Figure 5 , in practical applications, select the flight phase to determine the current flight phase of the drone. Then, one or more attack scenarios can be selected from the attack scenario library. When configuring the attack parameters, the specific parameters required for the attack can be set. After triggering the attack to start, a simulated attack is performed on the selected attack scenario for the drone.

[0089] The effect display area is used to display the results after the attack is executed. The attack effect display is used to show the impact of the attack on the drone. The ground control interface is used to control the flight of the drone, and the attack effect verification can show the effect of the attack.

[0090] Optionally, in some embodiments, the accompanying computing module further includes: a virtual wireless access point for creating a simulated wireless network and / or simulating the video acquisition and forwarding functions of the camera mounted on the UAV.

[0091] Specifically, the accompanying computing module may also include a virtual wireless access point, which can create a simulated wireless network environment to provide the drone with a virtual wireless communication network, thereby simulating the wireless network conditions and potential security threats that the drone may encounter in a real environment.

[0092] In addition, the accompanying computing module also has the function of simulating video acquisition and forwarding by a camera mounted on a drone, which can evaluate the performance and security of the drone when performing video transmission tasks. By simulating the capture and transmission of video streams, the stability and efficiency of the drone in processing and transmitting video data, as well as its anti-interference capability in the face of interference and attacks, can be tested.

[0093] Furthermore, the UAV safety simulation testing system may also include: a Web management interface, which is communicatively connected to the linkage control module; the Web management interface includes a configuration management area and a test control area, wherein the configuration management area is used to configure the simulation mode of the virtual network and the simulation environment module; the test control area is used to receive user commands to control the flight status management unit to switch flight phases, and when the linkage control module triggers an attack scenario, it provides an entry point for selecting attack scenarios and setting parameters, as well as an entry point for generating and displaying test reports.

[0094] Specifically, in order to enhance the functionality and user interactivity of the UAV safety simulation test system, it can communicate with the linkage control module through a web management interface, allowing users to remotely configure and control all aspects of the simulation test.

[0095] The configuration management area is used to configure the virtual network and the simulation mode of the simulation environment module. Parameters of the virtual network can be configured, such as network topology, IP address allocation, and subnet mask, as well as network encryption settings, including configuration of security protocols such as WEP and WPA2. Furthermore, users can configure the simulation environment, selecting different simulation modes, such as full mode or simplified mode, and adjusting the physical characteristics of the simulation environment, such as wind speed and temperature. This ensures that the simulation environment can simulate various possible real-world operating conditions, thereby enabling comprehensive testing of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system.

[0096] The test control area provides an interactive interface for real-time control of the drone's flight status. Commands can be sent to control the switching of flight phases, such as from the unlocked takeoff phase to the automatic flight phase, or to the emergency return phase. Furthermore, when the linkage control module triggers an attack scenario, the test control area provides an interface to select a specific attack scenario, set attack parameters such as attack intensity and frequency, and initiate or stop the attack. The test control area can also generate and display test reports, including flight logs, telemetry data, and attack result analysis, providing a detailed record of the testing process and an evaluation of the results.

[0097] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the Web management interface provided in an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 6 The connection status displays the drone's connectivity, including drone ID, signal strength, altitude, speed, and battery level. The flight map displays the drone's geographical location, potentially including flight path and surrounding environment information. The flight phases (drone flight phases) display the various stages of drone flight, such as initial startup, unlock takeoff, automatic flight, and emergency return-to-home. Flight instruments include an airspeed indicator, altimeter, attitude indicator, and heading indicator, simulating the cockpit instruments of a real aircraft and providing real-time feedback on flight status. The configuration management area and test control area allow for the configuration and control of the drone. A web management interface provides visualized flight status information, facilitating monitoring of the drone's status or execution of corresponding flight tasks.

[0098] It is understandable that, in practical applications, before conducting tests using the UAV safety simulation testing system of this application, it is necessary to complete the basic environment configuration, including installing container management tools (supporting Docker and Docker Compose) and ensuring that the operating system supports the creation of virtual networks; no additional hardware drivers or dedicated software need to be installed, and the platform automatically completes the dependency configuration through the deployment package provided; it supports single-machine deployment and distributed deployment to meet the needs of different test scales.

[0099] Using the deployment tools provided by the platform, after selecting the deployment mode (single-machine or distributed), images of each module in the container module group are built, preset static IPs are assigned, and module initialization is completed. During the deployment process, the deployment progress will be displayed in real time. After the deployment is completed, the communication connectivity between modules will be automatically detected, and troubleshooting suggestions will be prompted when connectivity is abnormal.

[0100] In the "Network Configuration" module of the platform's web management interface, configure the two-layer virtual network: For the simulated infrastructure network, confirm that the network segment can be 10.13.0.0 / 24, no additional configuration is required, and the system will automatically create a bridged network; for the simulated wireless data link, select the encryption mode (WEP / WPA2), set the key, configure the virtual Wi-Fi channel, and click "Start Wireless Link". The system will automatically create a virtual AP in the companion computing module, and the ground control module can search for and connect to the AP.

[0101] In the "System Settings" module of the web management interface, you can choose the running mode (full simulation mode or simplified simulation mode). When selecting full simulation mode, a prompt will appear stating, "Ensure your device supports GPU acceleration; otherwise, simulation performance may be affected." After confirmation, the Gazebo 3D engine configuration will be automatically loaded. When selecting simplified mode, the system will prompt, "This mode does not support 3D visualization and is suitable for low-configuration devices." After confirmation, it will automatically switch to a 2D simulation engine. After configuring the mode, click "Apply Configuration," and the simulation environment module will automatically restart to apply the new mode settings. All other modules will continue running without needing to be redeployed.

[0102] The containerized drone safety simulation test system provided in this application is illustrated below with specific examples.

[0103] Example 1: Drone Wireless Link Security Testing (Enterprise Security Team)

[0104] A company's security team needs to test the wireless link encryption protection capabilities of its self-developed drone and is using this platform to conduct the test:

[0105] Deployment mode: Select full simulation mode and configure the simulated wireless data link to WPA2 encryption;

[0106] Test procedure: During the automatic flight phase, trigger the "Wi-Fi cracking" scenario (reconnaissance type), import the dictionary file, and the system will automatically attempt to crack the WPA2 key; at the same time, trigger the "telemetry data leakage" scenario to test whether telemetry data is leaked under the encrypted link;

[0107] Results verification: If the WPA2 key is not cracked and the telemetry data is not leaked, it indicates that the wireless link encryption protection is effective; if the key is cracked or the data is leaked, the vulnerability points are recorded for optimization of the protection strategy.

[0108] Example 2: Drone attack and defense training (for university cybersecurity majors)

[0109] A university's cybersecurity program conducted drone attack and defense training, using this platform to organize students into groups for training.

[0110] Deployment mode: Select the simplified mode to adapt to student laptops and deploy all modules on a single machine;

[0111] Training content: Students are divided into "attack group" and "defense group". During the "auto-flight" phase, the attack group triggers scenarios such as "GPS spoofing" and "command injection" to try to interfere with the drone's flight. The defense group monitors the flight status through the ground control module, analyzes abnormal data, and formulates defense strategies.

[0112] Training results: Students can intuitively understand the principles of drone attack technology and defense methods, and the test logs and reports recorded by the platform can be used as the basis for practical training assessment.

[0113] Example 3: Verification of drone firmware vulnerabilities (drone manufacturer)

[0114] A drone manufacturer needs to verify the tamper-proof capabilities of its new firmware and is using this platform for testing:

[0115] Deployment mode: Select full mode, the flight control container module loads the new firmware provided by the manufacturer;

[0116] Test procedure: Trigger a firmware tampering scenario during the initial startup phase, import the modified firmware file (such as tampering with the maximum flight altitude parameter), and attempt to load it into the flight control module;

[0117] Result verification: If the firmware fails to load and the system prompts "Firmware signature verification failed", it means that the anti-tampering mechanism is effective; if the firmware loads successfully but the parameters are tampered with, it means that there is a vulnerability and the firmware signature verification process needs to be optimized.

[0118] In summary, the containerized UAV security simulation testing system provided in this application embodiment achieves decoupling and collaborative operation of the functional units of the UAV system through container module groups. These include a flight control module, an accompanying computing module, a ground control module, and a simulation environment module. The flight control module simulates flight control logic through a software-in-the-loop simulation interface; the accompanying computing module provides wireless network access management and data relay functions; the ground control module is responsible for flight mission planning, status monitoring, and command input; and the simulation environment module loads a physical simulation engine to generate a virtual flight environment based on the simulation mode. The linkage control module communicates with each module in the container module group and includes a flight status management unit and a flight status management unit within the attack scenario library linkage control module. Based on a predefined flight phase management simulation task flow, the attack scenario library provides various attack scenario modules. The linkage control module responds to the current flight phase, selects and triggers the corresponding attack scenario module, achieving linkage between flight status and attack scenarios. The containerized UAV security simulation testing system provided in this application embodiment can improve scalability and flexibility while reducing hardware dependence and testing costs. Furthermore, the UAV security simulation testing system can be applied to various scenarios such as network security attack and defense training and firmware vulnerability verification.

[0119] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a containerized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) safety simulation test method 100. Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating the containerized drone safety simulation testing method provided in this application embodiment. Figure 7 As shown, the UAV safety simulation test method 100 includes the following steps:

[0120] S101. Initialize each module in the container module group to establish a UAV simulation environment. The container module group includes a flight control module, a companion computing module, a ground control module, and a simulation environment module.

[0121] Specifically, each module in the container module group is initialized to construct a UAV simulation environment. The flight control module simulates the UAV's flight control logic, running the UAV's flight control software through software-in-the-loop (SITL) simulation technology to reproduce the UAV's flight behavior in a virtual environment. The accompanying computing module provides computing resources and data processing capabilities to support the computational needs of the flight control module and other modules.

[0122] The ground control module is used to simulate the interaction between the drone operator and the drone, providing functions such as flight mission planning, flight status monitoring, and sending control commands. Users can send commands to the drone through this module, such as route adjustment, takeoff, and landing.

[0123] The simulation environment module loads the corresponding physical simulation engine according to the selected simulation mode to create a virtual flight environment for the UAV, including terrain, climate conditions and other physical characteristics, in order to achieve high-fidelity environmental simulation.

[0124] S102. Based on multiple preset continuous flight phases, the flight control module is driven by the flight status management unit to cooperate with the simulation environment module to execute the UAV simulation task and determine the current flight phase.

[0125] Specifically, the flight status management unit can monitor preset continuous flight phases, such as initial startup, takeoff, and automatic flight, and drive the cooperation between the flight control module and the simulation environment module to execute UAV simulation tasks. This ensures that the UAV undergoes state transitions according to a predetermined process and triggers corresponding attack scenarios or test conditions in different flight phases, thereby comprehensively evaluating the performance and safety of the UAV under various conditions.

[0126] S103. Based on the current flight stage and the predefined mapping relationship between flight stages and attack scenarios, select an attack scenario module that matches the current flight stage from the attack scenario library.

[0127] Specifically, the attack scenario library can automatically select and trigger attack modules that match the current flight stage based on a preset mapping relationship between flight stages and attack scenarios. For example, during the initial startup or automatic flight phase of the drone, attack scenarios such as reconnaissance, protocol tampering, or data theft can be simulated. Through the attack scenario selection and triggering mechanism, the drone can be subjected to various cyberattacks in a simulated environment, thereby comprehensively testing and evaluating the drone's security and stability, ensuring the safety and reliability of the drone in real-world operations.

[0128] In one scenario, taking a GPS spoofing attack during the automatic flight phase as an example, the attack can be executed as follows:

[0129] Scenario selection: In the "Attack Scenarios" module of the Web management interface, first select the target flight phase as "Autopilot Flight", and then select "GPS Spoofing" from the list of scenarios supported for this flight phase;

[0130] Parameter configuration: Set attack parameters, including fake GPS coordinates (e.g., latitude 37.242000, longitude 115.797000, offset from the original flight path by 200 meters), attack duration (e.g., 10 minutes), and spoofing signal strength (e.g., level 8, out of 10).

[0131] Trigger Attack: After clicking the "Trigger Attack" button, a GPS spoofing command will be sent to the simulation environment module, and the simulation environment module will start sending false GPS signals to the flight control module;

[0132] Effect verification: The ground control interface displays the drone's position changes in real time, and it can be observed that the drone gradually deviates from its original flight path and moves towards the false GPS coordinates; at the same time, the system records the attack process;

[0133] Attack End: After the attack duration expires, the system automatically stops sending false GPS signals, the flight control module resumes receiving real GPS signals, and the drone attempts to return to its original flight path; the attack results are recorded in the test log for post-attack analysis.

[0134] S104. Trigger and execute the selected attack scenario module to perform security testing on the corresponding module in the container module group.

[0135] Specifically, to simulate potential threats in the real world, selected attack scenario modules are triggered and executed to conduct security assessments on container modules such as flight control, accompanying computing, ground control, and simulation environment. Through the attack scenario triggering mechanism, various network attacks, including reconnaissance, protocol tampering, denial-of-service, data theft, and firmware attacks, can be simulated, thereby testing the security and stability of the drone in the face of attacks.

[0136] The containerized UAV security simulation test method provided in the above embodiments can execute the containerized UAV security simulation test system provided in the above embodiments and has the same or corresponding beneficial effects, which will not be described in detail here.

[0137] It should be noted that the order of the embodiments described above is merely for descriptive purposes and does not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0138] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0139] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0140] In this application, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up" and "down" are generally used in relation to the direction shown in the accompanying drawings, or in relation to the vertical, perpendicular, or gravitational direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" are generally used in relation to the left and right shown in the accompanying drawings; "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself, but the above directional terms are not intended to limit this application.

[0141] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope described in this application, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A containerized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) safety simulation and testing system, characterized in that, include: A container module group, comprising multiple modules interconnected via a virtual network, for simulating different functional units of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, the container module group comprising: The flight control module is used to run the UAV flight control software and simulate the flight control logic through the software-in-the-loop simulation interface; The accompanying computing module provides wireless network access management and data relay functions; The ground control module is used to provide flight mission planning, status monitoring, and command input; The simulation environment module is used to load the physical simulation engine according to the simulation mode to generate a virtual flight environment for the UAV; The linkage control module is communicatively connected to each module in the container module group. The linkage control module includes: a flight status management unit and an attack scenario library. The flight status management unit is used to manage the execution process of the UAV simulation task according to multiple predefined consecutive flight phases; The attack scenario library contains multiple attack scenario modules. The linkage control module is configured to select and trigger an attack scenario module to be executed in the current flight phase in response to the current flight phase determined by the flight status management unit.

2. The UAV safety simulation testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The virtual network includes: A simulated infrastructure network is used to connect the flight control module, the accompanying computing module, the ground control module, and the simulation environment module, simulating the communication links between internal components of the unmanned aerial vehicle system; A simulated wireless data link network is used to establish a simulated wireless communication channel between the accompanying computing module and the ground control module.

3. The UAV safety simulation testing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The simulation environment module includes: Full simulation mode, used to load the Gazebo 3D physics engine for 3D simulation; The simplified simulation mode is used to call the 2D simulation engine in the UAV flight control software to calculate the core flight dynamics. The complete simulation mode and the simplified simulation mode can be switched between each other.

4. The UAV safety simulation testing system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flight phase includes: The mission consists of four phases: initial launch, unlock and takeoff, automatic flight, emergency response, and mission completion.

5. The UAV safety simulation testing system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The attack scenario module of the attack scenario library includes one or more of the following scenarios: The attacks include reconnaissance attacks, protocol tampering attacks, denial-of-service attacks, injection attacks, data theft attacks, and firmware attacks.

6. The UAV safety simulation testing system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The reconnaissance scenario is triggered during the initial startup phase or the automatic flight phase; The protocol tampering scenario and the data theft scenario are triggered during the automatic flight phase; The denial-of-service scenario is triggered during any of the flight phases. The injection-type scenario is triggered during the unlock takeoff phase or the automatic flight phase; The firmware attack scenario is triggered during the initial startup phase.

7. The UAV safety simulation testing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The attack scenario module includes multiple modules, and each attack scenario module has one or more flight phases.

8. The UAV safety simulation testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The accompanying calculation module also includes: A virtual wireless access point is used to create a simulated wireless network and / or simulate the video acquisition and forwarding functions of the camera mounted on the UAV.

9. The UAV safety simulation testing system according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: A web management interface is provided, which is communicatively connected to the linkage control module. The web management interface includes a configuration management area and a test control area. The configuration management area is used to configure the simulation mode of the virtual network and the simulation environment module; The test control area is used to receive user commands to control the flight status management unit to switch flight phases, and to provide an entry point for selecting attack scenarios and setting parameters, as well as an entry point for generating and displaying test reports when the linkage control module triggers an attack scenario.

10. A containerized drone security simulation testing method, applicable to any containerized drone security simulation testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: Initialize each module in the container module group to establish a UAV simulation environment. The container module group includes a flight control module, a companion computing module, a ground control module, and a simulation environment module. Based on multiple preset continuous flight phases, the flight status management unit drives the flight control module to cooperate with the simulation environment module to execute the UAV simulation task and determine the current flight phase; Based on the current flight phase, and according to the predefined mapping relationship between flight phases and attack scenarios, an attack scenario module matching the current flight phase is selected from the attack scenario library. The selected attack scenario module is triggered and executed to perform security tests on the corresponding modules in the container module group.

Images