Threat Analysis for Peer-to-Peer Overlay Networks

This document provides a threat analysis for peer-to-peer networks, where the system relies on each individual peer to route message, store data, and provide services. The threats against P2P network include those that target individual peers, those that target routing protocol, those that target identity management, and those that target stored data. Focusing on distributed hash table based P2P network, we first establish a threat model and perform a triage of various assets in a P2P system. We then describe each individual threat in details, including threat description, impact of attack, and possible mitigations. The threats and mitigations are discussed under the context of feasibility and practicality, with the ultimate goal of achieving better understanding of the threats for secure P2P system design.