A new methodology for analyzing vehicle network topologies for critical hacking

Abstract

This study aims to provide a new approach for describing and measuring the vulnerability of in-vehicle networks regarding cyberattacks. Cyberattacks targeting in-vehicle networks can result in a reasonable threat considering passenger safety. Unlike previous literature, the methodology focuses on a comparatively large sample of vehicle networks (114 objects) by proposing a new framework of statistical techniques for measuring, classifying, and modelling in-vehicle networks concerning the changed vulnerability, instead of dealing with each vehicle network individually. To facilitate understanding of the vulnerability patterns of in-vehicle networks, the dataset has been evaluated through three analytic stages: vulnerability identification, classification, and modeling. The result has helped in ranking vehicles based on their network vulnerability level. The result of the modeling has shown that every additional remote endpoint installation causes a relevant weakening in security. Higher cost vehicles have also appeared to be more vulnerable to cyberattacks, while the increase in the number of segmented network domains has had a positive effect on network security.