A Novel Covert Timing Channel Based on Bitcoin Messages

【Author】 Zhu, Liehuang; Liu, Qi; Chen, Zhuo; Zhang, Can; Gao, Feng; Yang, Zhongliang

【Source】IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTERS

【影响因子】3.183

【Abstract】Covert channels serve the construction of cyberspace security. By realizing the secure transmission of data, it is widely used in political and financial fields. Blockchain covert channels have higher reliability and concealment compared to traditional network-based covert channels. However, existing blockchain covert storage channels need to create a large number of transactions to transmit covert information. Creating transactions requires a transation fee, which means that the implementation of blockchain covert storage channels requires a high cost. Besides, created transactions remain on-chain permanently, leading to the threat of covert information being detected. To overcome these limitations, we propose a blockchain covert timing channel framework. Specifically, we utilize inv and getdata messages in the Bitcoin transaction broadcast as carriers and propose three modulation modes to achieve covert channels without cost and leaving no trace. We evaluate the concealment of our modes by K-S, KLD tests, and machine learning approaches. Experimental results show the indistinguishability between traffic carrying covert information and normal traffic. Our channels promise a capacity of 2.4 bit/s.

【Keywords】Blockchains; Bitcoin; Timing; Costs; Channel capacity; Protocols; Cyberspace; Blockchain; covert communication; covert channel; bitcoin; transaction broadcast

【发表时间】2023 OCT

【收录时间】2023-10-23

【文献类型】实验仿真

【主题类别】

区块链技术-核心技术-区块传输