On the limitations of security concepts for mobile adhoc networks routing protocols

Abstract

Recently, a number of approaches proposing various security aspects for routing protocols in mobile ad hoc networks have been proposed. In this work we do not introduce another proposal aiming at security in the context of ad hoc networks. Instead, we argue from a generalized view and answer the question: what security objectives are in principle achievable and what security features are not achievable at all, even when using unacceptable heavy weighted security features. Our contribution in this work is to derive from the available security mechanisms and from a reasonable ad hoc network specific attacker model a set of theoretically achievable security objectives. In particular we will also denote the majority of non practically achievable security objectives.