Deploying Intrusion Detection on In-Vehicle Networks: Challenges and Opportunities

Longxiang Wang, Qingchuan Zhao, Wei-Bin Lee, Cong Wang

Abstract: Controller Area Network (CAN) bus is the most widely used communication protocol in automobile systems that provides an efficient and safe way of transmitting information between the system’s Electronic Control Units (ECU). Alongside its wide adoption, however, inherent design flaws in the CAN bus make it subject to various attacks, such as masquerade and bus-off attacks, that exploit its vulnerable authentication mechanisms. Accordingly, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) are proposed to defend against specific attacks. In this paper, we systematically summarize the state-of-the-art IDSs that are based on either a single feature or multiple features to understand their advantages and disadvantages with respect to their target attacks. We will also discuss the limitations and challenges and suggest several improvements, hoping to shed light on future research directions.