CPCROK: A Communication-Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Scheme for Low-Density Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
The mix-zone method is effective in preserving real-time vehicle identity and location privacy in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs). However, it has limitations in low-vehicle-density scenarios, where adversaries can still identify the real trajectories of the victim vehicle. To address this issue,...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Future Internet |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/17/4/165 |
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| author | Junchao Wang Honglin Li Yan Sun Chris Phillips Alexios Mylonas Dimitris Gritzalis |
| author_facet | Junchao Wang Honglin Li Yan Sun Chris Phillips Alexios Mylonas Dimitris Gritzalis |
| author_sort | Junchao Wang |
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| description | The mix-zone method is effective in preserving real-time vehicle identity and location privacy in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs). However, it has limitations in low-vehicle-density scenarios, where adversaries can still identify the real trajectories of the victim vehicle. To address this issue, researchers often generate numerous fake beacons to deceive attackers, but this increases transmission overhead significantly. Therefore, we propose the Communication-Efficient Pseudonym-Changing Scheme within the Restricted Online Knowledge Scheme (CPCROK) to protect vehicle privacy without causing significant communication overhead in low-density VANETs by generating highly authentic fake beacons to form a single fabricated trajectory. Specifically, the CPCROK consists of three main modules: firstly, a special Kalman filter module that provides real-time, coarse-grained vehicle trajectory estimates to reduce the need for real-time vehicle state information; secondly, a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) module that enhances predictions within the mix zone by incorporating offline data engineering and considering online vehicle steering angles; and finally, a trajectory generation module that collaborates with the first two to generate highly convincing fake trajectories outside the mix zone. The experimental results confirm that CPCROK effectively reduces the attack success rate by over 90%, outperforming the plain mix-zone scheme and beating other fake beacon schemes by more than 60%. Additionally, CPCROK effectively minimizes transmission overhead by 67%, all while ensuring a high level of protection. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1aa73135bd594c71b89ea7d032b5fe2b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1999-5903 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Future Internet |
| spelling | doaj-art-1aa73135bd594c71b89ea7d032b5fe2b2025-08-20T02:18:05ZengMDPI AGFuture Internet1999-59032025-04-0117416510.3390/fi17040165CPCROK: A Communication-Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Scheme for Low-Density Vehicular Ad Hoc NetworksJunchao Wang0Honglin Li1Yan Sun2Chris Phillips3Alexios Mylonas4Dimitris Gritzalis5Cybersecurity and Computing Systems Research Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UKSchool of Computer Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AJ, UKSchool of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UKSchool of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UKCybersecurity and Computing Systems Research Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UKDepartment of Informatics, Athens University of Economics & Business, 10434 Athens, GreeceThe mix-zone method is effective in preserving real-time vehicle identity and location privacy in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs). However, it has limitations in low-vehicle-density scenarios, where adversaries can still identify the real trajectories of the victim vehicle. To address this issue, researchers often generate numerous fake beacons to deceive attackers, but this increases transmission overhead significantly. Therefore, we propose the Communication-Efficient Pseudonym-Changing Scheme within the Restricted Online Knowledge Scheme (CPCROK) to protect vehicle privacy without causing significant communication overhead in low-density VANETs by generating highly authentic fake beacons to form a single fabricated trajectory. Specifically, the CPCROK consists of three main modules: firstly, a special Kalman filter module that provides real-time, coarse-grained vehicle trajectory estimates to reduce the need for real-time vehicle state information; secondly, a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) module that enhances predictions within the mix zone by incorporating offline data engineering and considering online vehicle steering angles; and finally, a trajectory generation module that collaborates with the first two to generate highly convincing fake trajectories outside the mix zone. The experimental results confirm that CPCROK effectively reduces the attack success rate by over 90%, outperforming the plain mix-zone scheme and beating other fake beacon schemes by more than 60%. Additionally, CPCROK effectively minimizes transmission overhead by 67%, all while ensuring a high level of protection.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/17/4/165beaconmix zoneprivacypseudonym changingRNNtransmission overhead |
| spellingShingle | Junchao Wang Honglin Li Yan Sun Chris Phillips Alexios Mylonas Dimitris Gritzalis CPCROK: A Communication-Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Scheme for Low-Density Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks Future Internet beacon mix zone privacy pseudonym changing RNN transmission overhead |
| title | CPCROK: A Communication-Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Scheme for Low-Density Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks |
| title_full | CPCROK: A Communication-Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Scheme for Low-Density Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks |
| title_fullStr | CPCROK: A Communication-Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Scheme for Low-Density Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks |
| title_full_unstemmed | CPCROK: A Communication-Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Scheme for Low-Density Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks |
| title_short | CPCROK: A Communication-Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Scheme for Low-Density Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks |
| title_sort | cpcrok a communication efficient and privacy preserving scheme for low density vehicular ad hoc networks |
| topic | beacon mix zone privacy pseudonym changing RNN transmission overhead |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/17/4/165 |
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