Protocol Security Assessment

The increasing integration of in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems in modern cars has introduced significant security issues. This chapter presents a new approach for analyzing security vulnerabilities in automotive infotainment systems with a focus on the controller area network (CAN) bus and Wi-Fi communication protocols. Combining randomized, search, and greedy algorithms, the authors introduce a new method for simulating and analyzing potential attack vectors to expand the understanding of system vulnerabilities. The experimental framework implemented Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) in a virtualized environment using tools, including Parrot OS, VMware Workstation, Wireshark, and CAN utilities. Quantitative and statistical methods demonstrate that the system complexity is positively correlated with the number of vulnerabilities, whereby systems classified under low, medium, and high complexity contain 2, 4, and 6 exploitable weaknesses, respectively. The results reveal various forms of vulnerabilities caused by cyber threats, including CAN bus message injection, eavesdropping, denial-of-service attacks, replay attacks, Wi-Fi traffic interception, and unauthorized access through open ports. The proposed countermeasures, including encryption of CAN bus communications, message authentication protocols, and robust Wi-Fi security configurations, are actionable strategies toward mitigation. This chapter contributes to the state-of-the-art with a novel vulnerability assessment framework for automotive and practical insight into improving automotive cybersecurity.