How to Implement Stenography in ns2

To implement the Steganography in ns2 has several steps and it is a technique of hiding information within other non-secret data, commonly within media like images, audio files, or even network traffic. Executing the steganography in NS2 would contain to mimic the embedding of hidden messages within network packets and possibly classifying these hidden messages at the destination. Check the provided manual to configure Steganography with ns2.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Steganography in NS2

  1. Understand Steganography Components:
  • Hidden Data: The secret message that needs to be embedded within network traffic.
  • Carrier Data: The normal data like network packets where the hidden data is embedded.
  • Embedding Process: The process of introducing hidden data into the carrier data.
  • Extraction Process: The process of extracting hidden data from the carrier data at the destination.
  1. Set Up the NS2 Environment:
  • Make sure NS2 is installed on the system.
  • Understand with writing TCL scripts, as NS2 simulations are controlled through TCL.
  1. Define the Network Topology:
  • Generate nodes signifies the devices in the network that has a sender in which the steganography is applied and a receiver.

# Define the simulator

set ns [new Simulator]

# Create a trace file for analysis

set tracefile [open stego_trace.tr w]

$ns trace-all $tracefile

# Create a NAM file for animation

set namfile [open stego_analysis.nam w]

$ns namtrace-all-wireless $namfile 10

# Set up the network parameters

set opt(chan)   Channel/WiredChannel         ;# Wired channel for LAN

set opt(prop)   Propagation/ConstantSpeed    ;# Propagation model for wired

set opt(netif)  Phy/WiredPhy                 ;# Network interface type for wired

set opt(mac)    Mac/802_3                    ;# Ethernet MAC type

set opt(ifq)    Queue/DropTail/PriQueue      ;# Interface queue type

set opt(ll)     LL                           ;# Link layer type

set opt(ifqlen) 50                           ;# Queue size

set opt(delay)  10ms                         ;# Link delay for wired network

# Create a topography object

create-god 10

# Configure the nodes (e.g., network devices)

$ns node-config -llType $opt(ll) \

-macType $opt(mac) \

-ifqType $opt(ifq) \

-ifqLen $opt(ifqlen) \

-propType $opt(prop) \

-phyType $opt(netif) \

-channelType $opt(chan) \

-topoInstance $topo \

-agentTrace ON \

-routerTrace ON \

-macTrace OFF \

-movementTrace OFF

# Create network nodes

set sender [$ns node]  ;# Sender Node

set receiver [$ns node]  ;# Receiver Node

# Set initial positions for the nodes (optional for wired networks)

$sender set X_ 100.0

$sender set Y_ 100.0

$sender set Z_ 0.0

$receiver set X_ 200.0

$receiver set Y_ 100.0

$receiver set Z_ 0.0

  1. Implement the Steganography Process:
  • Embed a hidden message within the data being sent by the sender node. The hidden message can be inserted within the payload of TCP packets, for example.

# Simple steganography function: Embedding hidden data in packet payload

proc embed_steganography {original_message hidden_message} {

set embedded_message “$original_message-$hidden_message”

return $embedded_message

}

# Simple extraction function: Extracting hidden data from packet payload

proc extract_steganography {embedded_message} {

set extracted_message [lindex [split $embedded_message -] 1]

return $extracted_message

}

# Define the original and hidden messages

set original_message “HELLO”

set hidden_message “SECRET”

# Embed the hidden message in the original message

set embedded_message [embed_steganography $original_message $hidden_message]

puts “Message to be sent: $embedded_message”

  1. Simulate Secure Communication with Steganography:
  • Conduct the embedded message from the sender node to the receiver node, and then extract the hidden message at the receiver end.

# Create duplex link between Sender and Receiver

$ns duplex-link $sender $receiver 100Mb 10ms DropTail

# Create TCP agents

set tcp_sender [new Agent/TCP]

$ns attach-agent $sender $tcp_sender

set tcp_receiver_sink [new Agent/TCPSink]

$ns attach-agent $receiver $tcp_receiver_sink

$ns connect $tcp_sender $tcp_receiver_sink

# Sender sends the embedded message

set app_sender [new Application/FTP]

$app_sender attach-agent $tcp_sender

$ns at 2.0 “$app_sender send \”$embedded_message\””

# Receiver receives and extracts the hidden message

$ns at 3.0 “set extracted_message [extract_steganography $embedded_message]”

$ns at 3.5 “puts \”Receiver extracted hidden message: $extracted_message\””

  1. Run the Simulation:
  • Describe as they the simulation should terminate and execute it. The finish procedure will close the trace files and launch NAM for visualization.

# Define the finish procedure

proc finish {} {

global ns tracefile namfile

$ns flush-trace

close $tracefile

close $namfile

exec nam stego_analysis.nam &

exit 0

}

# Schedule the finish procedure at 10 seconds

$ns at 10.0 “finish”

# Run the simulation

$ns run

  1. Analyse the Results:
  • Evaluation the stego_trace.tr files to evaluate how the message with the hidden data was routed via the network.
  • Use the NAM file (stego_analysis.nam) to visualize the network operations and see how the embedded message was managed by the network.
  1. Customize and Extend:
  • Customize the simulation by:
    • Executing more advanced steganography approaches like embedding data in the particular bits of the packet payload or using encryption before embedding.
    • To mimic numerous types of data, like images or audio files, and embedding hidden messages within those types of media.
    • Establishing the detection mechanisms that attempt to identify or remove the hidden data from the carrier data to validate the robustness of the steganography approaches.

Example Summary:

This sample configures a simple steganography simulation in NS2 that concentrates on embedding a hidden message within network traffic and extracting it at the receiver’s end. The simulation will show on how steganography can be incorporated into a network simulation to cover communication.

Advanced Considerations:

  • For more complex scenarios, deliberate to incorporating NS2 with specialized steganography tools or libraries, or developing custom modules to emulate an advanced steganography approaches and their effects on network performance.
  • Extend the simulation to contain characteristics such as steganalysis (detecting steganography), secure key exchange, or multiple layers of hidden messages.

Debugging and Optimization:

  • Use the trace-all command to make sure all pertinent network activities are captured in the trace file.
  • Enhance the steganography process by refining embedding and extraction approaches, balancing the concealment of data with network performance to attain actual and efficient steganography.

We had collect the information regarding how to implement, evaluate and compute the steganography over the network communication and it is used to hide the messages to secure the communication that were executed using the tool of ns2 simulator. More specific details about the steganography will also be shared.

We also handle network packets related to your projects. For the best support and thesis ideas, reach out to ns2project.com.