Security Threats in Diffusion-based Molecular Communication Systems

Molecular communications (MCs) represent an emerging paradigm enabling information exchange between bio-nanomachines through the transmission of molecules. Unlike traditional wireless communication systems, MCs operate through biochemical processes, making them particularly suitable for biomedical and nanoscale applications. Despite their potential, MCs remain vulnerable to various security threats, especially at the physical layer. Given the critical nature of their applications, understanding and mitigating these threats is essential for the development of secure MC systems. This paper provides a systematic analysis of security threats in diffusion-based molecular communication channels. We explore how classical physical-layer attacks, such as jamming, eavesdropping, man-in-the-middle, and spoofing, manifest in MCs. Additionally, we assess the complexity of these attacks based on different modulation schemes and highlight the unique challenges posed by molecular propagation mechanisms. Our work lays the foundation for further investigations into securing molecular communication networks, ensuring their reliability for future applications in healthcare, nanotechnology, and 6G networks.