Skip to main content

TrainSec: A Simulation Framework for Security Modeling and Evaluation in CBTC Networks

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Reliability, Safety, and Security of Railway Systems. Modelling, Analysis, Verification, and Certification (RSSRail 2023)

Abstract

Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) systems are automatic train control systems that improve the efficiency and safety of railway systems. They rely on bidirectional communication between trains and infrastructural components called wayside units (WSUs). CBTC components communicate using wireless protocols; therefore, providing cybersecurity is essential to protect them against cyber attacks. Securing CBTC systems involves designing attack detection and mitigation techniques and assessing their performance. However, it is neither feasible nor practical to perform testing scenarios against real CBTC networks, which proves the need for simulation frameworks. This work presents TrainSec, a simulation framework that simulates components and communications in CBTC networks according to IEEE 1474.1, the standard for CBTC performance and functional requirements. This simulator will facilitate research in the area of CBTC security by providing an environment to model attacks and evaluate defence strategies. TrainSec is an open-source and available for free on GitHub.

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 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 64.99
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

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. 1.

    https://veins.car2x.org/.

  2. 2.

    https://github.com/aminfakhereldine/TrainSec.

  3. 3.

    https://www.eclipse.org/sumo/.

  4. 4.

    https://omnetpp.org/.

  5. 5.

    https://sumo.dlr.de/docs/netconvert.html.

  6. 6.

    https://sumo.dlr.de/docs/OpenStreetMap_file.html.

  7. 7.

    https://sumo.dlr.de/docs/Netedit/index.html.

  8. 8.

    https://sumo.dlr.de/docs/TraCI.html.

  9. 9.

    https://www.ttc.ca/routes-and-schedules/.

  10. 10.

    https://www.ttc.ca/transparency-and-accountability/Operating-Statistics.

  11. 11.

    https://www.ttc.ca/about-the-ttc/projects-and-plans/new-subway-trains.

References

  1. Dandoush, A., et al.: ns-3 based framework for simulating communication based train control (CBTC) systems. In: Proceedings of the 2016 Workshop on ns-3, pp. 116–123 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Chen, R., Guo, J.: Development of the new CBTC system simulation and performance analysis. WIT Trans. Built Environ. 114, 497–507 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. IEEE 1474.1 - 2004: IEEE standard for communications-based train control (CBTC) performance and functional requirements (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kamel, J., Wolf, M., Van Der Hei, R. W., Kaiser, A., Urien, P., Kargl, F.: Veremi extension: a dataset for comparable evaluation of misbehavior detection in vanets. In: ICC 2020-IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), pp. 1–6. IEEE (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Maleki, M., Malik, M., Folkesson, P., Sangchoolie, B., Karlsson, J.: Modeling and Evaluating the Effects of Jamming Attacks on Connected Automated Road Vehicles. In: 2022 IEEE 27th Pacific Rim International Symposium on Dependable Computing (PRDC), pp. 12–23. IEEE (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Mera, J.M., Gómez-Rey, I., Rodrigo, E.: CBTC test simulation bench. WIT Trans. Built Environ. 114, 485–495 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Cho, C.-H., Choi, D.-H., Quan, Z.-H., Choi, S.-A., Park, G.-S., Ryou, M.-S.: Modeling of CBTC carborne ATO functions using SCADE. In: 11th International Conference on Control, pp. 1089–1093. IEEE (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Xu, J., Chen, L., Gao, W., Zhao, M.: CBTC simulation platform design and study. J. Comput. Commun. 3(9), 61 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Soderi, S., Masti, D., Lun, Y. Z.: Railway cyber-security in the era of interconnected systems: a survey. IEEE Trans. Intell. Transport. Syst. (2023)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Teo, Z.-T., et al.: SecureRails: towards an open simulation platform for analyzing cyber-physical attacks in railways. In: 2016 IEEE Region 10 Conference (TENCON), pp. 95–98. IEEE (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Neema, H., Koutsoukos, X., Potteiger, B., Tang, C., Stouffer, K.: Simulation testbed for railway infrastructure security and resilience evaluation. In: 7th Symposium on Hot Topics in the Science of Security, pp. 1–8 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kamel, J., Ansari, M.R., Petit, J., Kaiser, A., Jemaa, I.B.: Urien: simulation framework for misbehavior detection in vehicular networks. IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol. 69(6), 6631–6643 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Sommer, C., German, R., Dressler, F.: Bidirectionally coupled network and road traffic simulation for improved IVC analysis. IEEE Trans. Mob. Comput. 10(1), 3–15 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang, W., Bu, B., Wang, H.: An intrusion detection method of data tampering attack in communication-based train control system. In: 2019 IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (ITSC), pp. 345–350. IEEE (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Fakhereldine, A., Zulkernine, M., Murdock, D.: Detecting intrusions in communication-based train control systems. In: ICC 2022-IEEE International Conference on Communications, pp. 4193–4198. IEEE (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Zhu, L., Li, Y., Yu, F.R., Ning, B., Tang, T., Wang, X.: Cross-layer defense methods for jamming-resistant CBTC systems. IEEE Trans. Intell. Transp. Syst. 22(11), 7266–7278 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Li, Y., Zhu, L., Wang, H., Yu, F.R., Liu, S.: A cross-layer defense scheme for edge intelligence-enabled CBTC systems against MitM attacks. IEEE Trans. Intell. Transp. Syst. 22(4), 2286–2298 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Li, Y., Zhu, L.: A Bayesian game based defense scheme for CBTC systems under man-in-the-middle attacks. In: 2019 IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (ITSC), pp. 2172–2176. IEEE (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kim, S., Won, Y., Park, I., Eun, Y., Park, K.-J.: Cyber-physical vulnerability analysis of communication-based train control. IEEE Internet Things J. 6(4), 6353–6362 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lakshminarayana, S., et al.: Signal jamming attacks against communication-based train control: attack impact and countermeasure. In: 11th ACM Conference on Security and Privacy in Wireless and Mobile Networks, pp. 160–171 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Zhu, L., He, Y., Yu, F.R., Ning, B., Tang, T., Zhao, N.: Communication-based train control system performance optimization using deep reinforcement learning. IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol. 66(2), 10705–10717 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Sedjelmaci, H., Guenab, F., Boudguiga, A., Petiot, Y.: Cooperative security framework for CBTC network. In: 2018 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), pp. 1–6. IEEE (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Lopez, P.A., et al.: Microscopic traffic simulation using sumo. In: 2018 21st International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC), pp. 2575–2582. IEEE (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Varga, A., Hornig, R.: An overview of the OMNeT++ simulation environment. In: 1st International ICST Conference on Simulation Tools and Techniques for Communications, Networks and Systems (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Wegener, A., Piórkowski, M., Raya, M., Hellbrück, H., Fischer, S., Hubaux, J.-P.: TraCI: an interface for coupling road traffic and network simulators. In: 11th Communications and Networking Simulation Symposium, pp. 155–163 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work is supported by Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) and Irdeto Canada. The authors would like to thank them for making this project a success.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amin Fakhereldine .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Fakhereldine, A., Zulkernine, M., Murdock, D. (2023). TrainSec: A Simulation Framework for Security Modeling and Evaluation in CBTC Networks. In: Milius, B., Collart-Dutilleul, S., Lecomte, T. (eds) Reliability, Safety, and Security of Railway Systems. Modelling, Analysis, Verification, and Certification. RSSRail 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14198. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43366-5_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43366-5_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-43365-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-43366-5

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics