VoIP Session Management Against Repetitive Call Setup Attacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing telecommunication networks are vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks that prevent victim agents from making or receiving calls by repeatedly aborting call setups, leaving them unable to function during the attack.
Innovation Solution
A session management system detects denial-of-service attacks by monitoring call termination messages and determines if the number of call terminations exceeds a threshold, then forwards calls associated with the victim agent to allow them to continue functioning during the attack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the victim agent follows normal call setup procedures, then call establishment works correctly under normal conditions, but the agent becomes vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks where repeated call setup and abort sequences incapacitate the agent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that monitors the call setup process and detects abnormal patterns. This intermediary layer identifies when a call setup is part of a DoS attack sequence and prevents the victim agent from processing harmful cancel messages, thereby protecting the agent while maintaining normal call establishment functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection during call setup to identify potential DoS attack patterns before they can incapacitate the victim agent. By monitoring the sequence of call setup and cancel messages in advance, the system can preemptively block malicious sequences while allowing legitimate calls to proceed
2Ease of operation
If the victim agent processes each call setup and cancel message normally, then individual call handling works correctly, but the agent becomes stuck and unable to receive or make new calls during an attack
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that monitors the state of the victim agent during call setup. When the system detects that the agent is becoming stuck due to processing too many cancel messages, it provides feedback to adjust the processing behavior, preventing the agent from becoming incapacitated while maintaining normal individual call handling
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system allows all call setup and termination messages to pass through, then normal call operations are maintained, but the network becomes vulnerable to capacity exhaustion from malicious attack sequences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of message processing by introducing state-aware handling of call setup and cancel messages. The system monitors parameters such as the frequency and sequence of cancel messages received by the victim agent, and when abnormal patterns are detected, it modifies the processing behavior to block malicious messages while allowing legitimate calls to proceed, thereby protecting network capacity
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for preventing a denial-of-service attack at a victim agent of a telecommunication network include a victim agent and a session management system communicatively coupled to the victim agent and an attacker agent. The session management system is to receive a call termination message during a session, determine whether the call termination message includes a first call termination message or a subsequent call termination message, determine that one or more call terminations are greater than or equal to a threshold, based on the one or more call terminations being greater than or equal to the threshold, determine an occurrence of a denial-of-service attack at the victim agent, and based on the occurrence of the denial-of-service attack, forward one or more calls associated with the victim agent during a period of time.