Enhanced <scp>IPv6</scp> Addressing Scheme: Irreversible Elegant Pairing for Reconnaissance Attack Prevention

ABSTRACT In scenarios where network resources are restricted, IPv6 addresses are frequently allocated to devices via SLAAC‐based EUI‐64 addressing to ensure their uniqueness. The consistent interface identifier (IID) resulting from this approach across networks poses a vulnerability to diverse reconnaissance attacks, encompassing activities like tracking locations, correlating network actions, scanning addresses, and targeting specific devices and so on. In response to this concern, our study introduces an innovative addressing strategy by utilizing the elegant pairing function. This technique ensures the creation of IPv6 addresses that are both nonpredictable and unique and effectively counteracts various reconnaissance attacks. Through empirical assessment, our proposed method achieves a 100% address success rate (ASR), effectively mitigating reconnaissance attacks without introducing additional communication overhead or heightened energy consumption.