The bitcoin hunter: Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels

Fatemeh Rezaei; Shahrzad Naseri; Ittay Eyal; Amir Houmansadr

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-63086-7_10

The bitcoin hunter: Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels

Fatemeh Rezaei, Shahrzad Naseri, Ittay Eyal, Amir Houmansadr

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Bitcoin and similar blockchain-based currencies are significant to consumers and industry because of their applications in electronic commerce and other trust-based distributed systems. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to the consumers and industry to maintain reliable access to their Bitcoin assets. In this paper, we investigate the resilience of Bitcoin to blocking by the powerful network entities such as ISPs and governments. By characterizing Bitcoin’s communication patterns, we design classifiers that can distinguish (and therefore block) Bitcoin traffic even if it is tunneled through an encrypted channel like Tor and even if Bitcoin traffic is being mixed with background traffic, e.g., due to browsing websites. We perform extensive experiments to demonstrate the reliability of our classifiers in identifying Bitcoin traffic even despite using obfuscation protocols like Tor Pluggable Ttransports. We conclude that standard obfuscation mechanisms are not enough to ensure blocking-resilient access to Bitcoin (and similar cryptocurrencies), therefore cryptocurrency operators should deploy tailored traffic obfuscation mechanisms.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Security and Privacy in Communication Networks - 16th EAI International Conference, SecureComm 2020, Proceedings
Editors	Noseong Park, Kun Sun, Sara Foresti, Kevin Butler, Nitesh Saxena
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	152-171
Number of pages	20
ISBN (Print)	9783030630850
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63086-7_10
State	Published - 2020
Event	16th International Conference on Security and Privacy in Communication Networks, SecureComm 2020 - Washington, United States Duration: 21 Oct 2020 → 23 Oct 2020

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST
Volume	335

Conference

Conference	16th International Conference on Security and Privacy in Communication Networks, SecureComm 2020
Country/Territory	United States
City	Washington
Period	21/10/20 → 23/10/20

Keywords

Bitcoin
Blocking-resistance
Traffic analysis

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Computer Networks and Communications

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-63086-7_10

Cite this

Rezaei, F., Naseri, S., Eyal, I., & Houmansadr, A. (2020). The bitcoin hunter: Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels. In N. Park, K. Sun, S. Foresti, K. Butler, & N. Saxena (Eds.), Security and Privacy in Communication Networks - 16th EAI International Conference, SecureComm 2020, Proceedings (pp. 152-171). (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST; Vol. 335). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63086-7_10

Rezaei, Fatemeh ; Naseri, Shahrzad ; Eyal, Ittay et al. / The bitcoin hunter : Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels. Security and Privacy in Communication Networks - 16th EAI International Conference, SecureComm 2020, Proceedings. editor / Noseong Park ; Kun Sun ; Sara Foresti ; Kevin Butler ; Nitesh Saxena. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2020. pp. 152-171 (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST).

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title = "The bitcoin hunter: Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels",

abstract = "Bitcoin and similar blockchain-based currencies are significant to consumers and industry because of their applications in electronic commerce and other trust-based distributed systems. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to the consumers and industry to maintain reliable access to their Bitcoin assets. In this paper, we investigate the resilience of Bitcoin to blocking by the powerful network entities such as ISPs and governments. By characterizing Bitcoin{\textquoteright}s communication patterns, we design classifiers that can distinguish (and therefore block) Bitcoin traffic even if it is tunneled through an encrypted channel like Tor and even if Bitcoin traffic is being mixed with background traffic, e.g., due to browsing websites. We perform extensive experiments to demonstrate the reliability of our classifiers in identifying Bitcoin traffic even despite using obfuscation protocols like Tor Pluggable Ttransports. We conclude that standard obfuscation mechanisms are not enough to ensure blocking-resilient access to Bitcoin (and similar cryptocurrencies), therefore cryptocurrency operators should deploy tailored traffic obfuscation mechanisms.",

keywords = "Bitcoin, Blocking-resistance, Traffic analysis",

author = "Fatemeh Rezaei and Shahrzad Naseri and Ittay Eyal and Amir Houmansadr",

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doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-63086-7_10",

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publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",

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Rezaei, F, Naseri, S, Eyal, I & Houmansadr, A 2020, The bitcoin hunter: Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels. in N Park, K Sun, S Foresti, K Butler & N Saxena (eds), Security and Privacy in Communication Networks - 16th EAI International Conference, SecureComm 2020, Proceedings. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST, vol. 335, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 152-171, 16th International Conference on Security and Privacy in Communication Networks, SecureComm 2020, Washington, United States, 21/10/20. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63086-7_10

The bitcoin hunter: Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels. / Rezaei, Fatemeh; Naseri, Shahrzad; Eyal, Ittay et al.
Security and Privacy in Communication Networks - 16th EAI International Conference, SecureComm 2020, Proceedings. ed. / Noseong Park; Kun Sun; Sara Foresti; Kevin Butler; Nitesh Saxena. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2020. p. 152-171 (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST; Vol. 335).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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AU - Rezaei, Fatemeh

AU - Naseri, Shahrzad

AU - Eyal, Ittay

AU - Houmansadr, Amir

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering 2020.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Bitcoin and similar blockchain-based currencies are significant to consumers and industry because of their applications in electronic commerce and other trust-based distributed systems. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to the consumers and industry to maintain reliable access to their Bitcoin assets. In this paper, we investigate the resilience of Bitcoin to blocking by the powerful network entities such as ISPs and governments. By characterizing Bitcoin’s communication patterns, we design classifiers that can distinguish (and therefore block) Bitcoin traffic even if it is tunneled through an encrypted channel like Tor and even if Bitcoin traffic is being mixed with background traffic, e.g., due to browsing websites. We perform extensive experiments to demonstrate the reliability of our classifiers in identifying Bitcoin traffic even despite using obfuscation protocols like Tor Pluggable Ttransports. We conclude that standard obfuscation mechanisms are not enough to ensure blocking-resilient access to Bitcoin (and similar cryptocurrencies), therefore cryptocurrency operators should deploy tailored traffic obfuscation mechanisms.

AB - Bitcoin and similar blockchain-based currencies are significant to consumers and industry because of their applications in electronic commerce and other trust-based distributed systems. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to the consumers and industry to maintain reliable access to their Bitcoin assets. In this paper, we investigate the resilience of Bitcoin to blocking by the powerful network entities such as ISPs and governments. By characterizing Bitcoin’s communication patterns, we design classifiers that can distinguish (and therefore block) Bitcoin traffic even if it is tunneled through an encrypted channel like Tor and even if Bitcoin traffic is being mixed with background traffic, e.g., due to browsing websites. We perform extensive experiments to demonstrate the reliability of our classifiers in identifying Bitcoin traffic even despite using obfuscation protocols like Tor Pluggable Ttransports. We conclude that standard obfuscation mechanisms are not enough to ensure blocking-resilient access to Bitcoin (and similar cryptocurrencies), therefore cryptocurrency operators should deploy tailored traffic obfuscation mechanisms.

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T3 - Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST

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A2 - Sun, Kun

A2 - Foresti, Sara

A2 - Butler, Kevin

A2 - Saxena, Nitesh

PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

Y2 - 21 October 2020 through 23 October 2020

ER -

Rezaei F, Naseri S, Eyal I, Houmansadr A. The bitcoin hunter: Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels. In Park N, Sun K, Foresti S, Butler K, Saxena N, editors, Security and Privacy in Communication Networks - 16th EAI International Conference, SecureComm 2020, Proceedings. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2020. p. 152-171. (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST). doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-63086-7_10

The bitcoin hunter: Detecting bitcoin traffic over encrypted channels

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

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