Skip to main content

Hidden and Uncontrolled – On the Emergence of Network Steganographic Threats

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
ISSE 2014 Securing Electronic Business Processes

Abstract

Network steganography is the art of hiding secret information within innocent network transmissions. Recent findings indicate that novel malware is increasingly using network steganography. Similarly, other malicious activities can profit from network steganography, such as data leakage or the exchange of pedophile data. This paper provides an introduction to network steganography and highlights its potential application for harmful purposes. We discuss the issues related to countering network steganography in practice and provide an outlook on further research directions and problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • [ACGT14] Ambrosin, M., Conti, M., Gasti, P., Tsudik, G.: In Proc. of the 9th ACM symposium on Information, Computer and Communications Security (ASIA-CCS), 2014, pp. 15-26

    Google Scholar 

  • [BaWK12] Backs, P., Wendzel, S., Keller, J.: Dynamic Routing in Covert Channel Overlays Based on Dynamic Routing Protocols, in Proc. International Workshop on Information Security Theory and Practice, pp. 32-29, IEEE, London, 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • [BiMS11] Białczak, P., Mazurczyk, W., Szczypiorski, S.: Sending Hidden Data via Google Suggest, 2011 International Conference on Telecommunication Systems, Modeling and Analysis (ICTSM 2011), Prague, Czech Republic, 2011, pp. 121-131,

    Google Scholar 

  • [Daem97] Daemon9: LOKI2 (the implementation) Phrack Magazine, vol. 7(5), http://www.phrack.com/issues.html?issue=51&id=6&mode=txt, 1997.

  • [Depa85] Department of Defense (DoD): Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC, Orange Book), DoD, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • [FrMS11] Frączek, W., Mazurczyk, W., Szczypiorski, K.: How Hidden Can Be Even More Hidden?, In Proc. of 2011 International Conference on Multimedia Information Networking and Security (MINES 2011), Shanghai, China, 4-6 November, 2011

    Google Scholar 

  • [FrMS12a] Frączek, W., Mazurczyk, W., Szczypiorski, K.: Hiding information in Stream Control Transmission Protocol, Computer Communications, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 159–169, 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • [FrMS12b] Frączek, W., Mazurczyk, W., Szczypiorski, K.: Multi-Level Steganography: Improving Hidden Communication in Networks, Journal of Universal Computer Science (J. UCS), Vol. 18, No. 14, 2012, pp. 1967-1986

    Google Scholar 

  • [GraS14] Grabska, I., Szczypiorski, K.: Steganography in LTE, Proc. of International Workshop on Cyber Crime (IWCC 2014), San Jose, USA, May 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • [Girl87] Girling, C.G.: Covert Channels in LAN’s, In: IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, pp. 292-296, IEEE, February 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  • [JaWS13] Jankowski, B., Mazurczyk, W., Szczypiorski, K.: PadSteg: Introducing inter-protocol steganography, In: Telecommunication Systems: Modelling, Analysis, Design and Management, Vol. 52, Iss. 2, pp. 1101-1111, 2013

    Google Scholar 

  • [KoMS13] Kopiczko, P., Mazurczyk, W., Szczypiorski, K.: StegTorrent: a steganographic method for P2P files sharing service, Proc. of International Workshop on Cyber Crime (IWCC 2013), San Francisco, USA, May 2013

    Google Scholar 

  • [LalW13] Lalande, J. F., Wendzel, S.: Hiding Privacy Leaks in Android Applications Using Low-Attention Raising Covert Channels, in Proc. of ECTCM Workshop @ ARES’13, Regensburg, Germany, pp. 701 – 710, 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  • [Lamp73] Lampson, B.W.: A Note on the Confinement Problem, In: Communications of the ACM, vol. 16(10), pp. 613-615, ACM, October 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  • [LuWS10] Lubacz, J., Mazurczyk, W., Szczypiorski, K.: Vice over IP, IEEE Spectrum,, pp. 40-45, February 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  • [MaFC12] Marforio, C., Ritzdorf, H., Francillon, A., Capkun, S.: Analysis of the communication between colluding applications on modern smartphones, in Proc. of the 28th Annual Computer Security Applications Conference (ACSAC), Orlando, USA, pp. 51 – 60, Dec. 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • [MaKS13] Mazurczyk, W., Karaś, M., Szczypiorski, K.: SkyDe: a Skype-based Steganographic Method, W: International Journal of Computers, Communications & Control (IJCCC), 8(3), pp. 389-400, June 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  • [MaSS12] Mazurczyk, W., Szaga, P., Szczypiorski, K.: Using Transcoding for Hidden Communication in IP Telephony, Multimedia Tools and Applications, 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • [MazC14] Mazurczyk, W., Caviglione, L.: Steganography in Modern Smartphones and Mitigation Techniques, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • [Mazu14] Mazurczyk, W.: VoIP Steganography and Its Detection – A Survey, ACM Computing Surveys, Vol. 46, Iss. 2, June 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • [MWIS14] Mazurczyk, W., Wendzel, S., Villares, I.A., Szczypiorski, K.: On the Importance of Steganographic Cost for Network Steganography, Arxiv.org, http://arxiv.org/abs/1406.2519, currently under review, 2014.

  • [Prin13] Prince, B.: Attackers Hide Communication Within Linux Backdoor, http://www.securityweek.com/attackers-hide-communication-linux-backdoor, Security Week, November 2013.

  • [RTSS09] Ristenpart, T., Tromer, E., Shacham, H., Savage, S.: Hey, you, get off of my cloud: exploring information leakage in third-party compute clouds, in Proc. of the 16th ACM CCS, 2009, pp. 199–212

    Google Scholar 

  • [SZIK11] Schlegel, R., Zhang, K., Zhou, X., Intwala, M., Kapadia, A., Wang, X.: Soundcomber: A Stealthy and Context-Aware Sound Trojan for Smartphones, in Proc. of Network and Distributed System Security Symposium, San Diego, USA, Feb. 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  • [Stod09] Stødle, D.: Ping Tunnel – For those times when everything else is blocked, 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  • [SzcW11] Szczypiorski, K., Mazurczyk, W.: Steganography in IEEE 802.11 OFDM symbols, Security and Communication Networks, vol. 3, pp. 1–12, 2011

    Google Scholar 

  • [Szczy03] Szczypiorski, K.: Steganography in TCP/IP networks – State of the Art and a Proposal of a New System–HICCUPS, Institute of Telecommunications’ seminar, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  • [SzIW07] Szczypiorski, K., Margasiński, I., Mazurczyk, W.: Steganographic Routing in Multi Agent System Environment, In: Journal of Information Assurance and Security, vol. 2, pp. 235-243, Dynamic Publishers Inc., 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  • [WenK11] Wendzel, S., Keller, J.: Low-attention forwarding for mobile network covert channels, in Proc. 12th Communications and Multimedia Security (CMS 2011), LNCS 7025, pp. 122-133, Springer, Gent, 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  • [WenK12] Wendzel, S., Keller, J.: Systematic Engineering of Control Protocols for Covert Channels, in Proc. 13th Communications and Multimedia Security (CMS 2012), LNCS 7394, pp. 131-144, Springer, Kent, 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • [WenK14] Wendzel, S., Keller, J.: Hidden and Under Control – A Survey and Outlook on Covert Channel- internal Control Protocols, In: Annals of Telecommunications, Springer Paris, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • [WZFH14] Wendzel, S., Zander, S., Fechner, B., Herdin, C.: A Pattern-based Survey and Categorization of Network Covert Channel Techniques, Arxiv.org, http://arxiv.org/abs/1406.2901, currently under review, 2014.

  • [WZMS14] Wendzel, S., Zwanger, V., Meier, M., Szlósarczyk, S.: Envisioning Smart Building Botnets, in Proc. Sicherheit 2014, LNI 228, pp. 319-329, GI, Vienna, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • [YDL+08] Yarochkin, F., Day, S.-Y., Lin, C.-H. et al.: Towards Adaptive Covert Communication System, in Proc. PDRC’08, pp. 153-159, IEEE Computer Society, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  • [ZiMS14] Zielińska, E., Mazurczyk, W., Szczypiorski, K.: Trends in Steganography, In: Communications of the ACM, 57(2), pp. 86-95, March 2014.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steffen Wendzel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

About this paper

Cite this paper

Wendzel, S., Mazurczyk, W., Caviglione, L., Meier, M. (2014). Hidden and Uncontrolled – On the Emergence of Network Steganographic Threats. In: Reimer, H., Pohlmann, N., Schneider, W. (eds) ISSE 2014 Securing Electronic Business Processes. Springer Vieweg, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-06708-3_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-06708-3_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer Vieweg, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-658-06707-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-658-06708-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics