Blackhole Attack Mitigation in AODV Protocol Using NS3 (v3.44) on Ubuntu 24.04

Are you a network security researcher or student exploring wireless network vulnerabilities? This post walks you through how to mitigate blackhole attacks in the AODV routing protocol using NS-3 (Network Simulator 3), specifically version ns-3.44 on Ubuntu 24.04. We’ll also guide you on modifying key NS3 source files and provide insights on testing your implementation.

📺 Watch the full setup and demo on my YouTube channel for step-by-step video instructions.

🛠️ Tools and Environment

• Network Simulator: NS-3.44

• Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04 (64-bit recommended)

• Routing Protocol: AODV (Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector)

• Attack Type: Blackhole Attack in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

🚨 What Is a Blackhole Attack in AODV?

A Blackhole Attack occurs when a malicious node in a wireless network advertises itself as having the shortest path to all destinations, causing data packets to be misrouted and dropped. This is a critical vulnerability in AODV-based MANETs (Mobile Ad hoc Networks).

To download the source code: 

https://github.com/tspradeepkumar/ns3_blackholeAttack/

Step-by-Step Instructions to Implement Blackhole Mitigation

✅ Step 1: Modify AODV Protocol Source Files

You need to replace the default AODV implementation with your custom one that includes blackhole attack detection and mitigation logic.

Files to Replace:

1. aodv-routing-protocol.cc

2. aodv-routing-protocol.h

Destination Folder:

~/ns-allinone-3.44/ns-3.44/src/aodv/model/

⚠️ Important: Backup the original files before replacing them.

✅ Step 2: Rebuild NS3 with the New AODV Implementation

Open your terminal and run the following commands to configure and build NS3:

$ cd ~/ns-allinone-3.44/ns-3.44
$ ./ns3 configure --enable-examples --enable-tests
$ ./ns3 build

This compiles NS3 with your modified AODV protocol, now capable of detecting and mitigating blackhole attacks.

---

✅ Step 3: Test the Blackhole Attack Simulation

Create and copy two new source files for testing:

1. blackhole.cc – Main file to simulate the blackhole scenario

2. myapp.h – Supports UDP-based communication for traffic generation

Destination Folder:

~/ns-allinone-3.44/ns-3.44/scratch/

After placing the files, run the simulation and observe the results.

---

📊 Output Results: Blackhole Attack Mitigation in Action

✅ Without Blackhole Attack:

• Packets Sent = Packets Received

• No Packet Loss

• Ideal behaviour of a secure wireless network

Without a blackhole attack

---

❌ With Blackhole Attack:

• Packets Dropped

• Received Bytes < Transmitted Bytes

• Indicates data interception or loss due to malicious nodes

With a blackhole attack

📈 Flow Analysis – Flow ID vs Delay:

You can also analyse FlowMonitor output to study how delay varies across flows in both attack and mitigation scenarios.

Blackhole attack flow

📺 Watch the Complete Video Tutorial 

• Blackhole Attack NS3

• AODV Protocol NS3 Simulation

• NS-3.44 Blackhole Mitigation

• Wireless Network Security Ubuntu

• Mobile Ad Hoc Network Attack Detection

• How to Detect Blackhole Attack in AODV

• NS3 Blackhole Simulation Tutorial

• Secure AODV Routing in NS-3