# A Survey on Satellite Communication System Security
## 4 Attacks in Satellite Communication Systems
### Availability Threats
Attackers spoof the ECN flag, reducing the throughput of individual connections and making a server appear non-responsive or attackers utilize DiffServ class flags in the TOS field to prioritize attack traffic over legitimate traffic, intensifying the DDoS attack's impact. (2) IoT botnet attacks, which involve infecting numerous IoT devices to form botnets for large-scale, hard-to-detect attacks, exemplified by the Mirai botnet. (3) Ping floods, where attackers flood networks with spoofed internet control message protocol (ICMP) echo requests, causing significant slowdowns or complete service blackouts. Paper [43] highlights the increasing risks of DDoS attacks on satellite service providers, exacerbated by the growing number of internet-connected infrastructure devices. They studied the above three types of attacks. Similarly, ref. [44] primarily contributes to the field by presenting a DDoS technique that faces unique challenges due to its inherent characteristics like a high bit error rate, high link delays, power control, and large round trip delays, and presents the same types of attacks as the aforementioned paper, including TOS floods, SYN floods, and ICMP floods. The paper by [PERSON] [45] focuses on exploring a new class of distributed denial-of-service attacks, a type of link flooding attack, on LEO satellite networks, specifically targeting their routing mechanisms. The ICARUS attack, targeting LEO satellite networks, involves a series of steps to disrupt communication by congesting specific network links. Initially, the attacker discovers the network topology and calculates routes between compromised nodes in a botnet, focusing on paths that intersect targeted links. These paths are then filtered to ensure they traverse these links in the desired direction. The attacker calculates the optimal traffic volume to cause congestion without self-interference, distributing this traffic across multiple uplinks to minimize detection. In cases of networks with randomized multipath routing, the attack adapts to a probabilistic approach, increasing the chances of congesting the target links despite the uncertainty in path selection. This method showcases how even a limited number of compromised hosts can significantly impact LEO satellite network communications. The concept of a kinetic attack involves rendering satellites inoperable through physical, mechanical, or invisible energy like a laser. This is perhaps the most definitive and clear-cut method to compromise the availability of satellites. Energy attacks have been a subject of design and research since the onset of the space arms race. Such attacks are referred to as ASAT weapons and their forms have become increasingly varied over time. During the Cold War, the intensifying space race led the United States and the Soviet Union to recognize the potential military significance of satellites. Consequently, both nations pondered countermeasures against satellites and conducted various experiments. Early ASAT efforts were not significantly different from missile defense systems. This similarity stemmed from the fundamental resemblance between ICBMs and space launch vehicles. Initially, the U.S. equipped missile interceptors with nuclear tips due to the lack of advanced guidance systems. As the 1960s progressed, the Soviet Union introduced the co-orbital ASAT weapon. This system involved launching a weapon into the same orbit as the target satellite and maneuvering it close enough to destroy the target, usually with conventional explosives. In response to the U.S. ASAT technology, the Soviet Union proposed a new type of attack in the 1970s, the Terra-3 [46], a high-energy laser weapon. This weapon was designed to incapacitate enemy satellites using laser beams. The 1980s saw the U.S. develop a new-generation ASAT weapon, the ASM-135A ASAT, consisting of a missile launched from an F-15 fighter to intercept and destroy satellites using a kinetic kill approach.