Protocol Software Component for Network Resilience Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network testing methods are inadequate for determining how a failure or error in one device can affect other devices and do not effectively simulate malicious attacks or unexpected events, which can lead to undetected vulnerabilities and disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A testing system that mimics network nodes by executing node instructions and using script callbacks to modify or delay message content, simulate errors, and test tolerance to unexpected messages, allowing for thorough evaluation of network components' resilience and vulnerabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual device testing is performed using conventional methods, then basic device functionality can be verified, but the system cannot detect how failures in one device affect other devices or simulate malicious attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protocol software component as an intermediary that sits between the test device and network devices. This component intercepts, modifies, and injects messages to simulate various failure conditions and attacks, enabling comprehensive reliability testing without requiring direct modification of each network device. The intermediary handles the complexity of test scenario creation, allowing simple test device operation while achieving sophisticated testing capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol software component is designed to be universal and multi-functional, supporting multiple communication protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, Ethernet, CAN, LIN) and multiple test scenarios (message injection, timing delays, corruption, replay attacks). A single testing system can test different device types and simulate various failure modes, reducing the need for multiple specialized testing systems and simplifying the overall testing infrastructure
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If simple file transfer testing is used to verify device communication, then basic connectivity can be confirmed, but the system cannot identify vulnerabilities to malicious attacks or unexpected events
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the protocol software component with test scenarios and attack patterns before actual testing begins. The component is pre-loaded with knowledge of various vulnerability types (buffer overflows, injection attacks, timing attacks) and can automatically execute these scenarios. This preliminary preparation enables deep vulnerability detection without requiring complex real-time analysis during testing
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol software component creates copies of legitimate protocol messages and modifies them for testing purposes. It can duplicate normal communication patterns and then introduce malicious variations (corrupted data, altered timing, injected commands). This copying approach allows safe simulation of attacks without requiring actual malicious inputs, simplifying the testing methodology while maintaining detection effectiveness
Data Source
AI summary
A particular system includes a processor and a network interface configured to send and receive messages via a network using an asynchronous computer communication protocol. The system may include two or more buffers, such as an ingress buffer and an egress buffer. The system may include a memory accessible to the processor. The memory may include first node instructions that are executable by the processor to implement one or more functions of a first node. The memory may also include one or more script callbacks. The script callbacks may be executable by the processor to at least one of provide: the first content to a test script to be modified before the first content is provided to the first node instructions from the ingress buffer, and provide the second content to the test script to be modified before the outgoing message is provided to the egress buffer.