Showing posts with label VPN-over-HF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VPN-over-HF. Show all posts

11 March 2026

a WireGuard-like VPN Protocol Adaptation over HF

Disclaimer: The following analysis is based on empirical observation of HF traffic and does not represent an official specification. The identification of protocol messages and roles is a technical hypothesis intended for research purposes.

This post examines what appears to be a custom HF adaptation of the WireGuard VPN protocol [1], a streamlined UDP-native protocol designed for high-performance secure tunneling. While the examined protocol shares characteristics with both MESH and VPN architectures, I have opted for the latter definition. This is because an HF implementation of a mesh protocol is better suited for tactical (field-deployed) theaters rather than the consolidated, fixed-site network observed in this case.

I have used the term "WireGuard-like" in the title because the observed packet structures diverge from standard specifications; nevertheless, protocol-specific signatures suggest a proprietary implementation tailored for transmission over HF links. For convenience, the term "WireGuard" (WG) will be used hereafter to refer to this specific implementation, its framing characteristics, and the field designations identified here.
This analysis also serves as a continuation of the work initiated in [2] [3]; readers are encouraged to refer to those previous posts for background on the operational scenario.

As established in the aforementioned posts, the bulk of the previous captures consists of intermittent 2G-ALE (MS-141A) handshakes between Node 101 (caller) and Node 102 (called). Sometimes handshakes are followed by short MS-110A bursts, carrying encapsulated STANAG-5066 UDP payloads of 16 and 32 bytes. However, a few days ago (February 19), while occasionally monitoring 20779.5 kHz (1), sustained async MS-110A transmissions were recorded, characterized by prolonged data exchanges specifically between nodes 101 and 102 (Figure 1). Unlike the sporadic heartbeats/pings observed earlier, these emissions suggest the transfer of larger, continuous data blocks. My friend Kosmod  kindly shared his recordings with me.

Fig. 1: Waterfall display showing continuous MS-110A bursts on 20779.5 kHz, indicating an active data session between ALE nodes 101 and 102

1. Bitstream Analysis

The MS-110A demodulated bitstreams exhibit the expected 8N1 asynchronous framing format, an example is shown in Figure 2. This format ensures that even if the radio link drops or fades momentarily, the serial framing allows the hardware to re-sync at the very next byte, rather than losing an entire synchronous frame.

Fig. 2: MS-110A 8N1 asynchronous pattern

After stripping the asynchronous start/stop bits, the underlying STANAG-5066 frames are identified via their 0x90EB sync sequence. These frames encapsulate IP traffic within U_PDUs (Unreliable/Unacknowledged PDUs), facilitating data exchange between nodes 011.020.100.101 and 011.020.100.102 (Figure 3a). The U_PDU payloads were subsequently extracted and reassembled, revealing IP/UDP datagrams routed between 192.168.101.15 and 192.168.102.15. Analysis of the reassembled UDP payloads identified a consistent 0x04 initial value, corresponding to WireGuard Type 4 Transport Data packets (2). This protocol identification was further validated by the Wireshark dissector (Figure 3b).

Fig. 3: Example of protocol decapsulation using STANAG-5066 (3a) and Wireshark dissectors (3b)

Figures 3a/3b highlights some interesting elements:

1. Cross-Layer Addressing: source and destination IP addresses are correlated with the ALE and STANAG-5066 node IDs. This mapping confirms a consistent logical-to-physical addressing scheme, verifying the identity of the transceiving stations across the radio link:
ALE address: 101 -> STANAG-5066 address: 011.020.100.101 -> LAN IP address: 192.168.101.15
ALE address: 102 -> STANAG-5066 address: 011.020.100.102 -> LAN IP address: 192.168.102.15
2. Transport Layer Optimization: the capture reveals the implementation of UDP (User Datagram Protocol). This choice is mirrored at the data-link layer by the use of STANAG-5066 Non-ARQ data transfer.
3. Encapsulated Tunneling: further dissection of the UDP payload identifies the use of an HF implementation of WireGuard VPN Protocol, indicating that the session employs a modern, high-performance encryption to secure the traffic.

2. Proposed Protocol Analysis

(All field designations are my own and are used for convenience of presentation)
The following section provides the UDP payloads analysis of the data transfer session illustrated in Figure 4.

Fig. 4: spectral time-frequency analysis

For reference, the following workflow was utilized for signal processing and analysis:

- MS-110A demodulation and asynchronous start/stop bit stripping
- STANAG-5066 protocol dissection
- Extraction and reassembly of segmented U_PDUs (Unreliable Data Protocol Units)
- Wireshark IP packet dissection
- Hexadecimal forensic analysis of the extracted UDP payloads 

The session commences with the standard MS-141A 2G-ALE handshake between Node 101 (caller) and Node 102 (called) which are followed by 3 WG bursts.

WG1 burst:
Internet Protocol Version 4, Src: 192.168.101.15, Dst: 192.168.102.15
User Datagram Protocol, Src Port: 55504, Dst Port: 2753
UDP payload (32 bytes): 002000020003cbf6c0a8650f00000def699713f500010000c0a8660f0000064d

This 32-byte pyload is the first packet of a new session, it serves as the "Announcement" or "Master Synchronization" Type 2 Message . In a high-latency, low-bandwidth environment like HF, you cannot afford the back-and-forth of a standard TCP-style or WireGuard handshake. Instead, the sender "pushes" the entire connection state in this single 32-byte burst.
 
WG2 burst:
Internet Protocol Version 4, Src: 192.168.102.15, Dst: 192.168.101.15
User Datagram Protocol, Src Port: 54107, Dst Port: 2754
UDP payload (28 bytes): 001c00010600a36dc0a8660f0001000ec0a8650f00000def00010002
This 28-byte payload serves as the Synchronized Acknowledgement (ACK) Type 1 Message. It confirms that the receiver has accepted the session parameters (Session ID and Clock) proposed in the initial 32-byte WG1 burst.
 
WG3 burst: The WG3 burst consists of two parts:
WG3_1 part: 
Internet Protocol Version 4, Src: 192.168.101.15, Dst: 192.168.102.15
User Datagram Protocol, Src Port: 55504, Dst Port: 2753
UDP payload (32 bytes): 002000020003cbf6c0a8650f00000def699713f500010000c0a8660f0000064d 
 
In this capture, the third payload seems to complete the MS-141A ALE Three-Way Handshake paradigm, transitioning the link from the "Linking" state to the "Data Traffic" state. Interestingly, the hex for this 3rd packet is identical to the 1st packet. In HF protocols, this usually indicates a re-transmission or a State Enforcement frame to ensure the receiver definitely has the Master Context before the data burst begins.
 
WG3_2 part: 
Internet Protocol Version 4, Src: 192.168.101.15, Dst: 192.168.102.15
User Datagram Protocol, Src Port: 55504, Dst Port: 2753
WireGuard Protocol
    Type: Transport Data (4)
    Reserved: 000000
    Receiver: 0x9ee70200
    Counter: 17225424150020335808
    Encrypted Packet
 
Examination of the UDP payload hexdump reveals a consistent 0x04000000 initial sequence , i.e., a fingerprint of standard-WireGuard Transport Data Type 4 Message
 
Fig. 5: hexdump of WG3_2 UDP payload
 
The structural composition of the header is detailed below:
The 16-byte Authentication Tag is always the last 16 bytes appended at the end of the encrypted payload. This tag is the result of the Poly1305 algorithm ChaCha20-Poly1305 for Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data (AEAD).
Note that while the Receiver Index is stored in Little-Endian (WireGuard standard), the Embedded IP (C0 A8...) is stored in Big-Endian (Network Byte Order). This "hybrid" endianness is an indicator of a custom wrapper being used to bridge standard networking with the WireGuard protocol.
In a standard WireGuard implementation, the Nonce (bytes 08-15) is usually just a monotonic counter starting from zero. 
However, this specific capture shows interesting points:
 
1. Identity Injection: by placing 192.168.101.15 (the sender's internal IP) directly into the first 4 bytes of the Nonce, the receiver can verify the source of the packet at the cryptographic layer before even attempting to decrypt the inner payload.
2. Timestamp Alignment: the following 4 bytes (00 00 0d ef) ensure the packet is unique and in sequence.
3. The "Double Match": notice this is an exact match to the 32-byte Master Sync packet analyzed in WG_1 burst. This confirms that the first data packet in a session "inherits" the sequence number and identity used during the handshake to prevent any startup delay on the HF link.
 
Below the complete packet flow summary. 
The captured sequence reveals a three-way synchronization establishment designed to bypass the high-overhead  handshake typically found in standard WireGuard implementations.
In this HF-optimized environment, the 32-byte Master Sync (WG1 burst) functions as a "state-push" mechanism, forcefully synchronizing the absolute Unix Epoch and session identity to satisfy WireGuard's anti-replay requirements in a single burst. The subsequent 28-byte ACK (WG2 burst) confirms bidirectional reachability and IP binding, while the final 32-byte State Lock (WG3_1 part) ensures the receiver is fully primed despite potential HF fading or ALE tuning delays. This robust "handshake-less" initiation minimizes airtime while establishing the necessary cryptographic context for the immediate transmission of WireGuard Type 4 Data packets.
 
Another significant capture reveals the existence of a 16-byte Type 3 Message, which in this context likely functions as a Status/Keep-Alive announcement. Notice that this Type 3 control message is transmitted immediately following the 2G-ALE (MS-141A) handshake, without an instant follow-up data burst, thereby marking the transition from link establishment to tunnel maintenance. Figure 6 displays the transition between the physical (2G-ALE) and logical (WG message) layers.
 
Fig. 6 : transition between the physical (2G-ALE) and logical (Type 3 Message) layers

The following table provides the proposed structure of the Type 3 message:

Internet Protocol Version 4, Src: 192.168.101.15, Dst: 192.168.102.15
User Datagram Protocol, Src Port: 56503, Dst Port: 2753
UDP payload (16 bytes): 0010000306001056c0a8650f0000059d

While Type 1 & 2 messages handle acknowledgments between peers, shorter 16-byte Type 3 messages likely serve as heartbeat signals, periodically announcing the presence of the 192.168.101.15 node to the network.
The immediate transmission of the Type 3 message after the 2G-ALE handshake serves as a bridge between the physical layer (radio synchronization) and the logical layer (tunnel persistence). This ensures that the UDP session is active before the bulk transport of Type 4 encrypted data begins. As seen in previous sequences, the ALE → WG transition is the "acid test" confirming that the system utilizes ALE merely as a pathfinder before immediately handing over control to the tunneling protocol.
 

2.1. Functional Parallelism with MS-141A Sounding 

Critical observation of the traffic patterns reveals Sub-Type 2 Messages 2.1 (02 01) and 2.2 (02 02) appearing either in isolation (Figure 7) or as a three-message exchange (Figure 8), both notably occurring without an immediate follow-up data burst. These behaviors exhibit a functional parallelism with 2G-ALE (MS-141A) sounding transmissions, where unilateral or short-handshake bursts are used to maintain channel state and verify path viability independently of active traffic.
 
Fig. 7 : isolated/probe Type 02  Message without an immediate follow-up handshake or data burst

Analisys of the payload (IP/UDP encapsulation is omitted)
Hex: 0020020200030b03c0a8650f00000de76996f7d300010000c0a8660f00000646

 
 
Figure 8 sows a three-message exchange between nodes 101 and 102 without an immediate follow-up data burst.
 
Fig. 8:  three-message exchange without an immediate follow-up data burst
 
Analisys of the UDP payloads, IP/UDP encapsulations are omitted.
 
WG1 Burst UDP Payload: Initial Sounding (Node 101)
Hex: 0020020200030b03c0a8650f00000de76996f7d300010000c0a8660f00000646
 
WG2 Burs UDP Payload: Response (Node 102)
Hex: 001c0201060019fdc0a8660f0001000ec0a8650f00000de700010002
WG2 payload is 28 bytes and contains the reflected "Echo" of  WG1 payload.
 
WG3 Burst UDP Payoad: Final Confirmation (Node 101)
Hex: 0020020200030b03c0a8650f00000de76996f7d300010000c0a8660f00000646
WG3 payload is a re-transmission of WG1 payload 1 to ensure link stability.
 
Sumarizing:
WG1 (The Sound): Node 101 announces itself and sets the Sync ID to 0x0de7.
WG2 (The Call/Response): Node 102 confirms it heard the sound by reflecting the IP .101.15 and the ID 0x0de7 back to the sender.
WG3 (The Conclusion): Node 101 re-transmits its state to ensure the link is locked. This redundancy is the core of the ALE-logic parallelism, ensuring connectivity even if the first packet had jitter.
 

This confirms that the nodes are handshaking on a state, not just passing data.
 
Observed sequences also show the presence of Sub-Type 1 Messages 1.2 (01 02), appearing either as isolated/probe burst (Figure 9): 
 
Fig. 9: isolated/probe WG burst
 
UDP Payload (IP/UDP encapsulation is omitted)
Hex: 00200102000323aac0a8650f00000df1699706f600010000c0a8660f0000064b
or occurring immediately before a Type 2 Message inside the same Type 4 data exchange burst. Notably, no ACK is issued by the destination peer (typically Node 102) in this specific sequence.
 
Fig. 10

UDP Payload WG1 (IP/UDP encapsulation is omitted)
Hex: 00200102000323aac0a8650f00000df1699706f600010000c0a8660f0000064b
UDP Payload WG2 (IP/UDP encapsulation is omitted)
Hex: 002000020003a325c0a8650f00000dea699713f300010000c0a8660f0000064e

Note the time jump between the two contiguous bursts
Payload A Epoch: 69 97 06 f6 ≈ 07:40:06 UTC
Payload B Epoch: 69 97 13 f3 ≈ 08:35:01 UTC
Delta: 3325 seconds (approx. 55 minutes and 25 seconds).
The fact that Type 04 (Data) follows Payload B immediately, could likely mean that the 55-minute jump in the epoch was a session sesynchronization.
The specific role of Sub-Type 1.2 remains unclear and deserves further investigation. 
 

2.2. Protocol Type Messages

Based on the observed sequences, this WireGuard-like protocol follows a deterministic four-stage lifecycle for link management and data transfer identified by the Type Message IDs:

- Link Initiatior (Type 2 Message): the session originates with an Initiator message utilized to request channel allocation or to "wake up" the remote peer within the STANAG-5066 stack.
- Receiver ACK (Type 1 Message): the responding node returns a Receiver ACK message. This exchange validates link-layer synchronization and confirms that both modems are aligned.
- Link Maintenance/Persistence (Type 3 Message): during periods of data inactivity, the link is sustained via Heartbeat messages. These 16-byte frames likely prevent STANAG-5066 session timeouts and provide the network controller with continuous node reachability status.
- Transport Data (Type 4 Message): once the control plane is stabilized, the Transport Data packets carry the encrypted payload. The persistence of the Receiver Index across distinct captures confirms a long-term security association managed by this custom signaling layer. 
Notice the similarity between the two ACK Types 0001 and 0201.
Interestingly, the protocol utilizes a non-sequential Type Message assignment that deviates from standard handshake conventions. Type 02 functions as the Initiator, signaling the intent to establish a link, while Type 01 serves as the Receiver ACK. This inversion suggests a priority-based numbering system or a derivation from a legacy STANAG-5066 signaling framework, where Type 01 is traditionally reserved for link-layer acknowledgments.

3. Some techical observations

3.1. STANAG-5066 addresses
The addresses utilized in STANAG-5066 (Source: 011.020.100.101; Destination: 011.020.100.102) are formally assigned to an Armenian political or organizational network (STANAG-5066 Table N-9  Middle East National Addressing Schema); however, they are likely dummy/fictitious addresses intended to avoid interference with official NATO-standard communications. Regardless, they do not help in geolocation since these represent logical identifiers that reflect organizational affiliation rather than physical geographical location. They identify "who" is communicating within the network, but they bear no relationship to "where" the transmitter is physically located.
 
3.2. Cross-Mapped UDP Architecture (port asimettry)
In a typical internet deployment, WireGuard is symmetric (e.g., Peer A:51820 ↔ Peer B:51820), however analysis of the UDP datagrams reveals a consistent asymmetric pattern:

    Node 101 TX Path: Local Port 55504 → Node 102 Remote Port 2753
    Node 102 TX Path: Local Port 54107 → Node 101 Remote Port 2754

Looking at previous captures, the local port does not always have the same value but changes (55504,54107,56503,60510,...) while remote ports 2753/2754 remain fixed:

    Node 101 TX Path: Local Port (variable) → Node 102 Remote Port 2753
    Node 102 TX Path: Local Port (variable) → Node 101 Remote Port 2754

The transition from symmetric to asymmetric UDP ports confirms that this is a Radio-Aware implementation. The cross-mapping of ports 2753 and 2754 serves as a synchronization bridge between the synchronous nature of the WireGuard protocol and the asynchronous, half-duplex constraints of HF.
By separating the RX/TX paths into different ports the software knows that anything arriving on ports 2753/2754 is exclusively incoming traffic from the remote peer, eliminating any risk of processing its own transmitted signals. In essence, the port asymmetry transforms a standard peer-to-peer VPN tunnel into a dual-channel "Virtual Circuit" optimized for the unique HF channel. 
Although a search of the IANA port registry yields no official assignments for UDP ports 2753 or 2754, the consistency of their appearance suggests they are de facto service-dedicated ports for this specific protocol.
 
3.3. End-user Identification and Attribution
Regarding the end-user, it can be confirmed with certainty that the entity is an Italian diplomatic/military body, as previous signal captures have intercepted op-chats conducted in Italian language. Furthermore, multiple UDXF logs support this attribution, identifying the ALE exchanges between nodes 101 and 102 as part of an Italian Military Attaché network.
 
3.4. Node Roles and Network Topology
The specific roles of ALE nodes 101 and 102 remain difficult to define, specifically regarding which functions as the HQ node and which as the remote node. However, it is established that node 101 consistently initiates both the link negotiation and the VPN tunnel, while also managing subsequent data forwarding. Based on standard network architecture, this behavior suggests that node 101 likely operates as the remote station (initiating a "call home" procedure), while node 102 functions as the central gateway or HQ. 
Based on the assumption of an Italian Military Attaché entity, it is highly plausible that the remote station (Node 101) transmits periodic diplomatic/military situation reports (SITREPs) to the central headquarters in Rome (Node 102), likely Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Defense.
 
3.5. Geolocation and Technical Constraints
Similar uncertainties apply to the geolocation of the two transmitters. The TDoA (Time Difference of Arrival) method employed for Direction Finding (DF) requires a minimum dwell time of 30 seconds from a single transmitting source and at least three receivers synchronized to the monitoring frequency.
These conditions are difficult to meet due to the unpredictable nature of the transmissions (they seem to happen only when a "report" is ready) and the handshake mechanism employed, which involves two distinct transmitting sources alternating rapidly. This rapid switching between the initiator (Node 101) and the responder (Node 102) prevents the TDoA system from maintaining a stable lock long enough for a precise fix. 

3.6. Protocol's timing logic
Examining several captures, significant temporal differences were observed between the WireGuard handshake timestamps in the initiator packets and their actual reception; an example is shown in Figure 11.
 
Fig. 11: temporal difference
 
All data points in the following table were recorded on the same day (2026/02/19), highlighting the intra-day volatility of the protocol's timing logic.
While the synchronization between the packets is evident, the multi-hour gaps between the Internal Timestamp and the Actual Reception time (specifically in Captures C through F) present an unresolved anomaly. At this stage of the analysis, no definitive explanation can be provided for these significant offsets. Several hypotheses remain under consideration: session-based epochs, system clock misalignment (Node 101), or a "store-and-forward" mechanism.
The negative deltas (specifically in Captures A and B) suggest that the internal timestamp functions as an expiration marker, i.e., a Session Validity Deadlines (Time-to-Live): this hypotheses also remains under consideration.
Negative deltas and multi-hour gaps highlight a complex session management logic that requires further data acquisition to be fully decoded and interpreted.
 
By the way, all the 2024/11/28 captures show similar negative deltas.  
 
 
Conclusions
In conclusion, the captured traffic likely represents an HF-customized VPN protocol. Although it deviates from the standard WireGuard specifications, its alignment with observed message structures suggests its specialized HF implementation. This adaptation transcends the capabilities of standard Wireshark dissectors, which are designed for "Vanilla" protocols and may not natively support these physical-layer modifications. This analysis remains a work in progress; further captures will be essential to confirm these findings and refine the protocol details.
 
 
(1) Transmissions do not appear to follow a fixed schedule. According to UDXF logs, there are multiple frequencies to monitor, making simultaneous tracking difficult unless a polling strategy using ALE software with a scanning receiver or a "staring" monitoring approach is implemented across various remote web-based SDRs:
07780.50, 10220.50, 12110.50, 14963.50, 15906.50
17411.50, 18325.50, 19516.50, 20776.50, 20779.50
(all KHz/USB)

 

27 June 2025

IPSec (ESP) over HF using STANAG-5066

For a few days I have been monitoring the 20.5 MHz/USB frequency, thanks to the KiwiSDR owned by IZ6BYY [1], recording some transmissions such as the sample in Figure 1, by the way such transmissions are not at all frequent. Data transfer is via the HF waveforms MS-110A and STANAG-4539 (MS-110B App.C), the links are managed by BW5 FLSU (Fast Link SetUp protocol) bursts and therefore everything happens according the "circuit mode service" of  STANAG-4538 (1). 

Fig. 1 - the transmission being analyzed

HF layer
The symbol rate of both waveforms is 2400 Baud, but it was not immediately detectable. In fact, in Figure 2a the automatically detected baud rate value is about 100 Bd (!): a value that is clearly inconsistent. I then used the "modified amplitude detector" function (Figure 2b) which shows a solid continuous line of 2400 Hz and therefore the correct value of 2400 Bd. But the function also reveals faint horizontal lines that "should" represent the baud rate and harmonics and which - unfortunately - should not be there and therefore fool the automatic detection (in PSK modulation the amplitude of the carrier signal remains constant). As a further test I used the automatic detection after the "hard-limited amplitude control" (Figure 2c) and in this case the result is the expected one.

Fig. 2 - Baud rate measurements

Apparently, there is a superimposed 100 Hz signal: according my friend cryptomaster it could be the residual ripple from a full-wave rectifier operating on a 50 Hz AC mains supply, which is then imperfectly filtered by smoothing capacitors.

Fig. 3 - residual ripple from a full-wave rectifier operating on a 50 Hz AC mains supply

The ACF values of MS-110A and STANAG-4539 signals (in the current sample) are respectively ~66.6 ms and ~119.5 ms which - at the speed of 2400 Bd - make 160 symbols frames for MS-110A and 287 symbols frames (256 symbols data block + 31 symbols mini-probe) for STANAG-4539. Actually the length of MS-110A frames is 40 symbols (20 symbols data block + 20 symbols mini-probe) but at slow data rates the length of the scrambler (160 symbols) matches 4 frames and originates the 66.6 ms ACF. Bitmaps and ACFs are shown in Figure 4 (note the four MS-110A frames within the 66.6 ms interval).

Fig. 4 - Bitmaps and ACFs

Figure 5 displays PSK8 constellations that appear "odd" or "twisted" compared to an ideal one. Instead of distinct, equally spaced points on a single circle, we see a slight amplitude variation and a twisted/spiral arrangement of the points. This odd appearance is most likely due to the superposition of the 100 Hz signal, as already highlighted during the baud rate measurement.

Fig. 5 - "twisted" PSK8 constellations

data-link layer
The demodulation of the signals inevitably "suffers" from the non-perfect PSK8 constellations, however it is still possible to analyze the resulting bitstreams and find a 1776-bit period that reveals the use of the STANAG-5066 suite at the data-link layer, presence which is also confirmed by some detections of the 16-bit synchronisation sequences 0x90EB, typical of that Standard.

Fig. 6 - an MS-110A decoded bitstream

The bitstreams have been analyzed using the "STANAG-5066 Dissector" tool [2]; below the traffic-flow output from one of the demodulated bitstreams (S4539.txt) that clearly shows the use of the ARQ DATA-ONLY (simplex) transfer mode; traffic flows from node 001.001.001.101 to node 001.010.010.110 (STANAG-5066 address):


Further "technical" information can be extracted by examining the data transfer frames as for examle the one shown in Figure 7 (frame #26 of 49):

Fig. 7 - a STANAG-5066 frame

As shown, the source and destination Service Access Point Identifiers (SAP ID, equivalent to the “ports” of the TCP protocol) have value 9 (1001 binary) and according to STANAG-5066 they refer to an IP based client/application, more precisely the traffic consists of segmented IPSec (IP Security) packets sent by node 001.001.001.101 to node 001.010.010.110.

user-to-user data
For further analysis of the IP packet we need to extract and edit a "reassembled" C_PDU and then save it as an HEX dump file. Figures 8,9 show an example.

Fig. 8 - an extracted STANAG-5066 C_PDU

We have to remove the first 6 bytes, ie the headers of C (Channel Access Sublayer) and S (Subnetwork Interface Sublayer) Protocol Data Units:
00 07 99 4B 5E 4F
where:
00 C_PDU type (0 = data)
07 S_PDU type (0 = data)
99 S_PDU source & destination SAP IDs (1001 & 1001)
4B 5E 4F S_PDU control and TDD fields
After removing these first 6 bytes you can copy and paste the hexadecimal data and save it to a .txt file, as for example "hex_dump_001.txt":

Fig. 9 - HEX dump file

The HEX dump file can be now analyzed by using the well-known "wireshark" tool [3]: first click "File" -> "Import from Hex Dump", select the file to be imported, set offsets to "none" and Encapsulation Type to "Raw IP" then click Import (Figure 10).

Fig. 10 - wireshark: import from hex dump file

Figure 11 displays the hexadecimal and ASCII representation of the imported IP packet. You can see the bytes that make up the IP header and the subsequent ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload) header and its (encrypted) payload. In summary, this image shows an IPSec (IP Security) ESP packet traveling from the IP addresses 192.168.10.48 to 192.168.1.48. The ESP protocol provides confidentiality, data origin authentication, data integrity, and anti-replay services for IP packets. This type of packet is common in VPN connections or other secure network communications.

Fig. 11 - imported IP packet

The IP header can also be parsed by using the tool CyberChef [4], obviously getting the same results.

Fig. 12 - CyberChef IP parser

Further analysis is not possible since the IP packets payloads are protected by encryption,  however some comments can be added.

The first one concerns the HF waveforms. As seen in Figure 1, HF traffic is conducted in STANAG-4538 "circuit mode". The FLSU Request specifies the traffic waveforms that will be used during the circuit mode service: for example, STANAG-4285 can be specified as the traffic waveform. Once circuit mode begins, any station can initiate transmissions using the specified traffic waveform. Indeed, quoting Annex C to STANAG-4538 "For circuit mode connections, the called station can issue a FLSU Confirm with a different modem parameter (data rate or interleaving), but it shall not change the waveform selection". Well, this is in contrast to what I saw, ie two different waveforms: MS-110A 600bps/S and STANAG-4539 (MS-110B App.C) 4800bps/S, and 9600bps/S also. Although MS-110B superseding MS-110A, Appendix C uses a completely different framing.

Unlike typical IP networks where addresses might be dynamically assigned via DHCP, STANAG-5066 addresses are generally statically configured and are part of the network's design and planning, ie each STANAG-5066 server or device is manually configured with its unique address (Figure 13).

Fig. 13 - manually assignment of a STANAG-5066 address

While STANAG-5066 has its own addressing, it can also provide IP and IPv6 address translation for its subnetwork addresses to allow IP-based applications to communicate over the HF link. In such cases, the mapping between STANAG 5066 addresses and IP addresses would also be part of the static configuration. For example, the sample being analyzed shows the matches:

[STANAG-5066]     [IP]
001.001.001.101  192.168.10.48 source
001.010.010.110  192.168.1.48  dest

Well, about seven years ago (respectively november and october, 2018) I found these matches:
 
[STANAG-5066]     [IP]
001.001.001.101  192.168.2.48  source          
001.003.003.103  192.168.12.48 dest

001.001.001.101  192.168.1.48  source
001.005.005.105  192.168.14.48 dest

Assuming that it is the same HF network(!) and trusting in the goodness of the decoders, you may see that the STANAG-5066 node 001.001.001.101 was always the sender and had 3 different IP mappings (192.168.10.48, 192.168.2.48, 192.168.1.48), as well as the IP node 192.168.1.48 had two different STANAG-5066 mappings (001.010.010.110, 001.001.001.101). Obviously over the time the servers/devices may have changed as well as the related configurations, furthermore only three samples are not so significant.
However, it must be said that ESP protocol may work in "tunnel" and "transport" mode. In tunnel mode, the entire original IP packet (including its original IP header) is encapsulated and becomes the payload of a new, outer IP packet. This means you will see two IP headers:
* an outer IP header that contains the source and destination IP addresses of the IPSec gateways or tunnel endpoints.
* an inner (original) IP header that contains the actual source and destination IP addresses of the end-hosts. This inner header is encrypted along with the original payload(!).
In transport mode, the original IP header is retained. There is only one IP header in the packet. This header contains the source and destination IP addresses of the actual end-hosts communicating.

I can't reliably determine whether these IPSec ESP headers are operating in transport or tunnel mode, thus the above IP addresses may belong to tunnel endpoints (tunnel mode) or directly correspond to the ultimate source and destination hosts (transport mode).
By the way, according to Annex N to STANAG-5066 (Guidance on Address Management in STANAG 5066 Networks) the address range 1.0.0.0-1.255.255.255 is managed by US DoD and includes US Armed Forces and Homeland Security as major S’5066 users.

(1) In the context of STANAG-4538, when we talk about "circuit mode service," we generally refer to establishing a dedicated, continuous connection between two points for the duration of the communication. This is in contrast to the packet mode service, where data is broken into discrete packets and sent independently via xDL protocols.

https://disk.yandex.com/d/LSGj4GzIpjBYOg 
https://disk.yandex.com/d/iZNNGFhziG5opA 

[1] https://iz6byy.k1fm.us/
[2] http://i56578-swl.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-stanag-5066-off-line-dissector.html
[3] https://www.wireshark.org/
[4] https://gchq.github.io/CyberChef/

7 November 2018

IP over HF via STANAG-5066 RCOP, MIL 188-110A as HF waveform

Interesting transmissions spotted on 9105.0 KHz/usb at 1240z, user/locations are unid, maybe form US-Mil stations? The transfer concerns IP-over-HF (IPoHF) via STANAG-5066 RCOP protocol [1]: 1380 bytes IP packets are exchanged in directions 192.168.2.48 -> 192.168.12.48 and 192.168.1.48 -> 192.168.14.48 , ESP (IPSec) secure protocol is used.  MIL-STD 188-110A Serial is used as the HF waveform. STANAG-5066 Addresses (001.003.003.103 001.001.001.101) belong to US-DoD. Similar transmissions was heard on 8th October on 13378.0 KHz/usb using 188-110A and S4539 QAM-64 as HF bearers (discussed here) maybe the user is the same.
The sequence of the figures illustrates the various steps that have been performed in the analysis of the signal.

Fig. 1 - 188-110A on-air symbols
Fig. 2 - STANAG-5066 bitstream after the removal of 188-110A overhead
Fig. 3 - hex-dump after the removal of STANAG-5066

The hex-dump file resulting after the removal of STANAG-5066 PDUs encapsulations has been processed using "wireshark" software: IPv4 addresses and headers as well as IPSec encapsulation are clearly visible.

Fig. 4 -


https://yadi.sk/d/wuBIWQ_HSwVRMA
https://yadi.sk/i/6p-izzJatalVwg
https://yadi.sk/i/ulK473q0E2rCNw

[1] https://www.isode.com/whitepapers/ip-over-stanag-5066.html

https://yadi.sk/i/6p-izzJatalVwg

9 October 2018

S5066 data transfer, scaling from 3200bps (QPSK/PSK8 on-air) up to 9600bps (QAM64)

8th October update: using "Wireshark" software to detect IP packets (IP over HF)

13378.0 KHz/USB, 0848z: S5066 data transfer using HF waveforms 110A & S4539 which scale from 3200bps (QPSK/PSK-8 on air) up to 9600bps (QAM-64); unid user/location. Notice in Figure 1 that QAM-32 constellation use multiple PSK rings to maintain good peak-to-average ratios, and the QAM-64 constellation is a variation of the standard square QAM constellation, which has been modified to improve the peak-to-average ratio.

Fig. 1 . HF waveforms constellations
The typical 1776 bits structure of S5066 is obtained after the removal of the HF waveforms overhead, in Figure 2 the bitstream is synchronized on the sync sequence 0x90EB. 

Fig. 2 - STANAG-5066 bitstream synched on 0X90EB
Looking at the 16-byte headers of the Data Transfer Protocol Data Units (D_PDU), we see that #0 (Data only)  is the used D_PDU type: this type is used for simplex data transfer of segmented C_PDUs with a Selective Repeat-Request (SRQ) service protocol. The peers in the link have the S5066 addresses: 001.005.005.105 and 001.001.001.101.

0x90EB D_PDU sync sequence
04 D_PDU type

10 50 56 91 01 01 65 source & destination address

90 EB 04 F6 3C E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 48 BA 85 ...
90 EB 04 F6 3B E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 08 C8 87 ...
90 EB 04 F6 3A E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 08 C8 88 ...
90 EB 04 F6 39 E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 08 C8 89 ...
90 EB 04 F6 39 E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 08 C8 8A ...
90 EB 04 F6 38 E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 08 C8 8B ...
90 EB 04 F6 37 E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 48 BA 8C ...
90 EB 04 F6 36 E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 08 C8 8E ...
90 EB 04 F6 35 E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 08 C8 8F ...
90 EB 04 F6 34 E9 10 50 56 91 01 01 65 08 C8 90 ...

The  D_PDUs payloads originate a group of files which have the same 38 bytes length initial structure consisting of a 33-byte pattern followed by a progressive 0xnn number and four 0x00 bytes:

00 07 99 42 EF 44 45 00 05 64 FF FF 40 00 FE 32 E6 B6 C0 A8 01 30 C0 A8 0E 30 00 00 04 89 00 00 00 18 00 00 00 00 4F ...
00 07 99 42 EF 44 45 00 05 64 FF FF 40 00 FE 32 E6 B6 C0 A8 01 30 C0 A8 0E 30 00 00 04 89 00 00 00 19 00 00 00 00 5A ...
00 07 99 42 EF 44 45 00 05 64 FF FF 40 00 FE 32 E6 B6 C0 A8 01 30 C0 A8 0E 30 00 00 04 89 00 00 00 1A 00 00 00 00 CC ...
00 07 99 42 EF 44 45 00 05 64 FF FF 40 00 FE 32 E6 B6 C0 A8 01 30 C0 A8 0E 30 00 00 04 89 00 00 00 1B 00 00 00 00 53  ...
 

In my opinion the first six bytes are the headers of C (Channel Access Sublayer) and S (Subnetwork Interface Sublayer) Protocol Data Units: 

00 07 99 42 EF 44

00 C_PDU type (0 = data) 
07 S_PDU type (0 = data)
99 S_PDU source & destination SAP IDs (1001 & 1001)

42 EF 44 S_PDU control and TDD fields

and the remaining 32 bytes, from 0x45 to 0x4F, could be the headers of the User Protocol data Units (U_PDUs) incoming from the client/application upper layer (Figure 3). Since the presence of a progressive number (0x18, 0x19,0x1A,...) it could be that the client message has been segmented into smaller U_PDUs before the subnet interface, but it's only a my guess.

Fig.3 - sublayers within STANAG-5066

SAP_ID stands for Service Access Point Identifier, it's a number in the range 0-15 and is equivalent to the “port” of the TCP protocol. In this case - according to S5066, the used Service Access Point should be the IP port (1001).

My friend and colleague j. sent me an email with his comments about this signal "I also analysed the last S5066 signal you posted on your page. It finally contains IP data packets (local addresses are 192.168.1.48 ->192.168.14.48) in the direction 1.1.1.101 -> 1.5.5.105. The used protocol is ESP (IPSec). The other direction confirms the data using RCOP"
Well, it's possible to prepare an hex dump file by removing the  C & S headers (0x 00 07 99 42 EF 44) :

00 07 99 42 EF 44 45 00 05 64 FF FF 40 00 FE 32 E6 B6 C0 A8 01 30 C0 A8 0E 30 00 00 04 89 00 00 00 18 00 00 00 00 4F ...

and then process the obtained file using "wireshark" software. The results show the IP packet originally submitted to S5066 and thus to the HF network, i.e. IP over HF [1]


[1] https://www.isode.com/.../ip-over-stanag-5066.html
https://yadi.sk/d/ZFTNRhiPkoT1HQ