On the security of distributed position services

Position-based routing protocols make routing decisions based on the geographical position of the destination of a packet. Such protocols scale well since they do not require nodes to maintain explicit routes. Instead each node must know only its own position, the position of its neighbors, and the position of the destination. Thus, a critical component of position-based routing protocols is the position service that allows nodes to obtain the position of a destination node. In this paper we analyze the security vulnerabilities of position-based routing protocols and virtual home region (VHR)-based distributed position service systems. We propose methods to protect the position information from both external and internal attackers. We then discuss and propose several mitigation mechanisms against position abuse by internal attackers that exploit the position service to trace their targets. Finally, we propose a position verification mechanism that allows the position service to verify that the positions reported by nodes are correct.