3rd International ICST Conference on Security and Privacy in Communication Networks

Research Article

An Assessment of VoIP Covert Channel Threats

  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1109/SECCOM.2007.4550357,
        author={Takehiro Takahashi and Wenke Lee},
        title={An Assessment of VoIP Covert Channel Threats},
        proceedings={3rd International ICST Conference on Security and Privacy in Communication Networks},
        publisher={IEEE},
        proceedings_a={SECURECOMM},
        year={2008},
        month={6},
        keywords={VoIP covert channel  channel capacity  covert communication  security of data  voice over IP  watermarking},
        doi={10.1109/SECCOM.2007.4550357}
    }
    
  • Takehiro Takahashi
    Wenke Lee
    Year: 2008
    An Assessment of VoIP Covert Channel Threats
    SECURECOMM
    IEEE
    DOI: 10.1109/SECCOM.2007.4550357
Takehiro Takahashi1,*, Wenke Lee1,*
  • 1: School of Computer Science Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Georgia 30332
*Contact email: gte360y@mail.gatech.edu, wenke@cc.gatech.edu

Abstract

A VoIP covert channel is a mechanism that utilizes an IP phone conversation to illicitly transfer information across a network. In this paper, we present a model of VoIP covert channels that explains their main components and functions. We provide a performance evaluation framework, and quantify the threat to users. Our results demonstrate that covert channels represent an immediate threat to VoIP users. We discuss possible course of actions to detect attacks and mitigate the risk of information leakage.