Performance Evaluation of Mobile RPL-Based IoT Networks under Hello Flood Attack

Abstract

The RPL protocol is essential for efficient communication within the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, yet it remains vulnerable to various attacks, particularly in dense and mobile environments where it shows certain limitations and susceptibilities. This paper presents a comprehensive simulation-based analysis of the RPL protocol’s vulnerability to the Hello Flood attack in mobile environments. Using four different group mobility models—the Column Mobility Model (CMM), Reference Point Group Mobility Model (RPGM), Nomadic Community Mobility Model (NCM), and Pursue Mobility Model (PMM)—within the Cooja simulator, this study uniquely investigates the Hello Flood attack in mobile settings, an area previously overlooked. Our systematic evaluation focuses on critical performance metrics, including the Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), End-to-End Delay (E2ED), throughput, Expected Transmission Count (ETX), and Average Power Consumption (APC). The findings reveal several key insights: PDR decreases significantly, indicating increased packet loss or delivery failures; ETX values rise, necessitating more packet retransmissions and routing hops; E2ED increases, introducing delays in routing decisions and data transmission times; throughput declines as the attack disrupts data flow; and APC escalates due to higher energy usage on packet transmissions, especially over extended paths. These results underscore the urgent need for robust security measures to protect RPL-based IoT networks in mobile environments. Furthermore, our work emphasizes the exacerbated impact of the attack in mobile scenarios, highlighting the evolving security requirements of IoT networks.