Securing O-RAN Equipment Using Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Verification

This repository contains the Python implementation of the IEEE IWCMC 2025 paper “Securing O-RAN Equipment Using Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Verification” (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11059692). The simulation reproduces the performance and security results presented in the paper, demonstrating the effectiveness of blockchain technology for protecting the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) supply chain.

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Paper Abstract

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The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture has enabled the integration of multi-vendor equipment, yielding a significant enhancement in the flexibility and interoperability of telecommunications networks. However, this openness has also introduced new security vulnerabilities, particularly in supply chain integrity. Malicious actors may exploit weaknesses at various stages of production, distribution, or integration, leading to critical threats such as data tampering, unauthorized access, and denial-of-service (DOS) attacks. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel blockchain-based framework designed to secure the O-RAN supply chain. The proposed solution leverages a private permissioned blockchain ledger and cryptographic firmware authentication to ensure the integrity and authenticity of network equipment throughout its lifecycle. Specifically, the framework consists of: (1) a decentralized architecture integrating blockchain network components, equipment node validators, and secure firmware authentication mechanisms; and (2) a consensus-based verification model to enhance trust and transparency within the supply chain. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first approaches to use blockchain for O-RAN supply chain security, and also addressing emerging security threats in a scalable and tamper-resistant manner. Experimental validation and security assessments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in mitigating supply chain risks, making it a promising solution for ensuring trust and robustness in next-generation O-RAN ecosystems.

Implementation Overview

This Python implementation mirrors the system described in the paper and includes:

1. Quorum Blockchain Simulation — permissioned network with IBFT 2.0 consensus
2. Cryptographic Firmware Authentication — hardware-security-module–style verification
3. Smart Contract Simulation — EquipmentRegistry and IntegrationVerifier contracts
4. Network Topology — manufacturers, integrators, and operators in a multi-vendor setting
5. Performance Testing — TPS, verification latency, consensus finality, etc.
6. Security Validation — firmware tampering, Sybil, and replay-attack scenarios

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Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn
• Cryptography
• tqdm

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Installation

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/oran-blockchain-verification.git
cd oran-blockchain-verification

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate        # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

pip install -r requirements.txt

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Usage

# Full simulation
python run_simulation.py

# Or open the notebook
jupyter notebook oran_blockchain_simulation.ipynb

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Key Features

• Blockchain Network Simulation — nodes, transactions, blocks, IBFT 2.0
• Firmware Authentication — cryptographic hash verification (HSM simulation)
• Smart Contracts — EquipmentRegistry & IntegrationVerifier replicas
• Performance Analysis — TPS, latency, consensus-finality vs. network size
• Security Testing — tamper detection, Sybil resistance, replay-attack defense
• Visualization — reproduces graphs from the IWCMC 2025 paper

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Results

Metric	100 Nodes	500 Nodes
Transaction Throughput	248 TPS	195 TPS
Verification Latency	320 ms	620 ms
Consensus Finality	1.2 s	2.5 s
Firmware-Tampering FNR	1.8 %	—

These results confirm that the blockchain-based framework secures O-RAN supply chains while maintaining near-real-time performance.

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Code Structure

oran-blockchain-verification/
├── oran_blockchain_simulation.ipynb      # Main Jupyter notebook
├── run_simulation.py                     # Stand-alone script
├── simulation/
│   ├── blockchain.py
│   ├── firmware.py
│   ├── smart_contracts.py
│   ├── performance.py
│   └── visualization.py
├── results/
│   ├── stress_test_results.png
│   ├── ethereum_comparison.png
│   ├── security_analysis.png
│   └── simulation_summary.txt
├── requirements.txt
├── LICENSE
└── README.md

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Paper Citation

@INPROCEEDINGS{11059692,
  author    = {Mehrban, Ali and El Houda, Zakaria Abou and Moudoud, Hajar and Brik, Bouziane and Khoukhi, Lyes},
  title     = {Securing O-RAN Equipment Using Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Verification},
  booktitle = {2025 International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing (IWCMC)},
  year      = {2025},
  pages     = {1570--1575},
  keywords  = {Wireless communication; Supply chains; Ecosystems; Authentication; Open RAN; Denial-of-service attack; Real-time systems; Blockchains; Telecommunications; Microprogramming; O-RAN; Supply Chain Verification; blockchain; firmware authentication; security},
  doi       = {10.1109/IWCMC65282.2025.11059692}
}

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Key Findings

1. 248 TPS at 100 nodes demonstrates high throughput for permissioned chains.
2. Firmware-verification latency remains < 500 ms up to ~300 nodes, enabling near-real-time validation.
3. Tampered-firmware detection achieves a 1.8 % false-negative rate.
4. IBFT 2.0 consensus overhead becomes significant beyond ~500 nodes.
5. Quorum outperforms public Ethereum by ~4.6× TPS for this workload.
6. Quorum’s ledger is ~40 % smaller than Ethereum’s for equivalent data.

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License

This project is released under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

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Acknowledgments

• Authors of the IWCMC 2025 paper for their groundbreaking work
• O-RAN Alliance for promoting open standards
• Blockchain and security research community

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Implementation by Ali Mehrban et al. Provided for research and educational use; production deployments require additional security hardening and optimization.