V2X Security within the vehicleCAPTAIN toolbox

by Patrizia Neubauer (University of Klagenfurt)

This thesis deals with the integration and demonstration of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) security components within the Vehicle Communication Platform to Anything (vehicleCAPTAIN) toolbox. As the level of vehicle automation increases, it is important to secure V2X communications, ensuring reliable and secure communication between vehicles, infrastructure, and other road users. This study addresses three main topics: the basic components of V2X, the basic components of V2X security, and the practical demonstration of these security components within an application, with a focus on integrating Public Key Infrastructures (PKIs) for secure data exchange. With the upgrade of Unex’s V2Xcast® Software Development Kit (SDK), integrated into the Routing Core of the vehicleCAPTAIN toolbox, from version 1.7 to 1.13, the secure transmission of additional message types is supported, and PKI integration is enabled, enhancing the security of V2X communications. The results demonstrate the system’s effectiveness in securing communications between Onboard Units (OBUs) and Roadside Units (RSUs), despite certain limitations, such as the inability to send secure Collective Perception Messages (CPMs). This work contributes to developing secure V2X infrastructures, providing insights into the theoretical and practical aspects of V2X security.