Work-in-Progress: Slow Denial of Service Attack on MQTT-Based IoT
Erkin Kirdan, Patricia J. Horvath, Marc‐Oliver Pahl · 2023
This paper presents an in-depth study of Slow Denial of Service (DoS) attacks on MQTT, a widely used com- munication protocol in loT networks, building upon the existing literature. Our research focuses on extending the capabilities of such attacks, successfully lifting the simultaneous client limit, and achieving more than 25,000 active connections. This increase resulted in a notable escalation in resource consumption, underscoring the potential vulnerabilities in MQTT-based loT systems. Furthermore, we have implemented a Distributed DoS (DDoS) variant of the attack for the first time by randomizing source IP addresses and simulating packets originating from multiple sources. This approach complicates the detection and mitigation efforts by Intrusion Detection Systems, revealing additional weaknesses in loT security. The findings emphasize the importance of developing robust security mechanisms and strategies to protect against Slow DoS and DDoS attacks in resource-constrained loT environments. This study contributes to the growing body of research in loT security, particularly concerning the MQTT protocol. By addressing these security challenges, we aim to facilitate loT deployments' continued growth and success across various domains.