Application of IP Network Modeling Platforms for Cyber-Attack Research

This work proposes the use of IP network modeling platforms to study cyber-attacks. For the purpose of this work, the GNS3 platform is proposed to be used due to the range of advantages and functionalities it offers. In this work, a model of an IP network is created in which voice streams are exchanged (VoIP connections are established) between users. Kali Linux is used as the attacker because of its capabilities and tools it offers. The device under attack is the Asterisk Free PBX. It is subjected to various TCP flood attacks (TCP SYN, TCP FIN, and TCP RST). The goal is to check how Asterisk reacts when using the different TCP flood attacks and in which attack, the consequences will be the most severe. Ports 80 and 5060 are under attack. A characterization of the traffic and studying of the impact of the applied cyber-attacks on the exchanged voice streams during the attacks are done. Well-known traffic monitoring and delay measurement tools were used during the study.