Secure Routing with the DSR Protocol

An ad-hoc network is a spontaneous network that emerges when two or more wireless nodes pledge to help each other. As the wireless range of these nodes is usually limited so each node commits to forward the packets on behalf of its neighbours in accordance with a predefined routing protocol. Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) is one of the widely used routing protocols that is currently undergoing extensive research and development. DSR is based on source routing, but the routes are discovered not on a periodic basis but on an as per requirement basis. The control and data packets traverse the network in accordance with the list of IP addresses held by each packet. As this list is mutable, it creates a potential vulnerability that is frequently exploited by malicious nodes. By adding, deleting or modifying IP addresses in the list, malicious nodes can control and monitor the flow of network traffic. Similarly, transmission of routing packets in clear text, also discloses vital information about the network topology, which is again a potential security hazard. This necessitates that the routing and data packets must be obscured and authenticated prior to usage. In this paper we present a novel and pragmatic scheme for securing the Dynamic Source Routing protocol that protects against a number of attacks carried out against mobile ad-hoc wireless networks.