Eclipse attacks involve a malicious actor isolating a specific user or node within a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. When executing an eclipse attack, the attacker attempts to redirect the target user’s inbound and outbound connections away from its legitimate neighboring nodes to attacker-controlled nodes, thereby sealing off the target in an environment that’s entirely separate from the actual network activity

An eclipse attack targets distributed networks by isolating a node from its peers, allowing an attacker to control all its communications. 

1. Flooding the Target Node

Attackers initiate an eclipse attack by flooding the target node with connection requests from multiple malicious nodes. The attackers can monopolize the node’s peer list by overwhelming the node with a high volume of requests.

2. Exploiting Peer Selection Algorithms

Most peer-to-peer networks utilize algorithms to select and maintain peer connections. Attackers exploit weaknesses in these algorithms by creating nodes that appear legitimate but are controlled by the attacker.

3. Maintaining Isolation

Once the target node is isolated, attackers continuously monitor and maintain control over the connections. Maintaining isolation involves regularly refreshing connections to prevent legitimate nodes from re-establishing contact. Attackers can use techniques such as IP spoofing or Sybil attacks, creating numerous fake identities to reinforce the isolation and control over the node’s communication channels.

4. Manipulating Node Perspective

With the node isolated, attackers can exploit the information it receives. Manipulating node perspective could mean providing incorrect blockchain data, enabling double-spending attacks, or delaying transaction verifications in blockchain networks.

Here are some types of Eclipse Attacks:

1. Simple Eclipse Attack

The attacker isolates a single target node by connecting to it with multiple fake nodes while disconnecting it from legitimate peers. 

2. Sybil Attack

The attacker creates numerous identities (or nodes) in the network to gain a majority presence and isolate specific nodes. 

3. Network Partitioning

The attacker disrupts the network’s topology, separating the victim node from others by manipulating routing. 

4. Double-Spending Eclipse Attack

A specialized form of the simple eclipse attack where the attacker isolates a node to make it accept fraudulent transactions. 

5. Race Condition Eclipse Attack

The attacker exploits the timing of transaction submissions to confuse the victim node during transaction processing.

6. Self-Eclipse Attack

The attacker can intentionally eclipse their own node to manipulate information being processed. 

1. Transaction Censorship: The attacker can censor transactions from the target by preventing them from being included in the blockchain. This can lead to delays in transactions or even the failure of transactions

2. Sybil Attacks: In an Eclipse attack, the attacker may use Sybil attacks to create fake identities and nodes to manipulate the target. By creating a large number of fake nodes, the attacker can increase their influence in the network and undermine the target’s ability to verify the authenticity of the network.

3. Centralization: An Eclipse attack can lead to centralization of the network, where a few nodes or a single entity gains control over the network. 

4. Network Instability: An Eclipse attack can cause network instability, as the target node may be overwhelmed with traffic or disrupted from the rest of the network. 

5. Financial Loss: An Eclipse attack can lead to financial loss for the victims, as the attacker may be able to carry out fraudulent transactions, double-spending, and other malicious activities.