Formal modeling of active network nodes using PVS

Abstract

Active Networks are a new type of networks where all elements are programmable. Active packets can contain fragments of code to be executed on intermediate nodes they pass through. Active nodes provide the necessary environment and resources for the packets to be processed. In giving the users the capability to program the network as they desire, there is an issue of security risks. This paper presents a formal model for an active node that can be used to specify and verify the correct operation of the node. The model is used to verify that scenarios where privacy of data is violated or functionality of a node is compromised never occur. The proposed model is generic to any type of active node and is written using the Prototype Verification System (PVS).