What Is an Eclipse Attack?
An eclipse attack is a type of attack that seeks to disrupt the blockchain network by targeting specific individuals or nodes in the system. It is a malicious attack that can be carried out by an individual or a group of malicious actors that have sufficient resources. The aim of this attack is to create an artificial environment where blocks cannot be validated in a timely manner and transactions are not properly verified by the network nodes. In this article, we will discuss in greater detail what an eclipse attack is and how it works.
Definition of an Eclipse Attack
An eclipse attack is a type of cyberattack on the blockchain of a cryptocurrency that seeks to disrupt the network by preventing specific nodes from participating. This is accomplished by targeting specific peers in the network with large amounts of traffic that prevent those peers from communicating with other peers and validating transactions.
The attacker uses this technique to isolate a specific node or user from communicating with the other nodes in the network, making it unable to relay transactions, validate blocks, and take part in the consensus process. By isolating a specific node, the attacker reduces the trustworthiness of the blockchain and can prevent the user from validating blocks or participating in consensus which drastically alters the performance of the blockchain.
Eclipse attacks are gaining prominence as they can disrupt a blockchain-based system with little effort. This type of attack is becoming a concern among users of blockchains, especially considering the vast amount of resources that can be required to carry out the attack.
Motivation Behind an Eclipse Attack
The main motivation behind an eclipse attack is to hamper the network’s ability to reach consensus on transactions and blocks. In other words, eclipse attacks attempt to create an artificial environment where a blockchain-based system cannot reach consensus on transactions, blocks, or any other matters.
By halting consensus, the attacker can slow or halt the blockchain’s ability to process transactions. This is a major problem because it weakens confidence in the system and makes it vulnerable to malicious actors. The attacker can also take advantage of the situation by performing transactions that he or she otherwise would not be able to, such as double spending or stealing cryptocurrency.
How Does an Eclipse Attack Work?
An eclipse attack works by targeting a specific group of users, or nodes, in a blockchain network. The attacker targets these users or nodes with large amounts of traffic, or data, making it difficult for those individuals to communicate with the other nodes in the network. This makes it difficult for the blockchain to validate blocks and reach consensus with the other nodes.
The aim of the attacker is to create an artificial environment where the blockchain’s consensus mechanisms fail to function as planned. This can be done by preventing validators from participating in the consensus process, as well as by preventing users from validating blocks or participating in consensus. In other words, the attacker tries to create an environment where blocks are not properly verified or transactions are not properly taken into account.
Impact of an Eclipse Attack
The primary impact of an eclipse attack is on the security of the blockchain network. By preventing validators from participating in the consensus process, the attacker can cause transactions to become invalid, as well as to delay or prevent blocks from being properly verified. This undermines the integrity of the blockchain and can prevent users from validating transactions or participating in consensus. Consequently, this can lead to delays and a lack of trust in the blockchain.
Furthermore, an eclipse attack can also have an impact on the performance of the blockchain. By preventing nodes from participating in the consensus process or validating blocks, the attacker can cause delays in the blockchain’s processing times. This can prevent transactions from taking place in a timely manner or can slow the confirmation times for transactions, leading to an increase in fees and slow processing times.
Ways to Detect and Prevent an Eclipse Attack
Eclipse attacks can be difficult to detect because the attackers can hide their malicious activities. Some methods of detecting and preventing eclipse attacks include:
• Employing an intrusion detection system (IDS) that is capable of detecting traffic anomalies and potential attack techniques.
• Utilizing blockchain-based techniques such as PhishRep and OpenDLT, which are capable of detecting malicious activities on the blockchain.
• Implementing DDoS protection, which is capable of detecting and preventing distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
• Identification of malicious IP addresses and rerouting them to other peers or nodes.
• Forking the blockchain to mitigate against attacks.
An eclipse attack is a malicious cyberattack on a blockchain-based system that seeks to disrupt the network by preventing specific nodes from participating in the consensus process. The aim of such attack is to create an artificial environment where transactions are not properly verified and the consensus process breaks down.
Eclipse attacks can have a dramatic impact on the blockchain’s ability to secure transactions, as well as its performance, leading to delays and rising transaction fees. Fortunately, there are a number of measures that can be taken to detect and prevent such attacks, including employing an intrusion detection system, employing blockchain-based security measures, and forking the blockchain.
