Implement "Randomization" of I2P Hops (tunnel length) in I2P settings, as shown in image below
https://postimg.cc/jCH72LXj
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Use Case
It helps in evading a patternicity attack by "Randomizing" the hops pattern.
For example,
Source A >> H >> M >> Y >> Destination B
Destination B >> C >> J >> W >> L >> Source A
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Extra info/examples/attachments
In the context of I2P and specifically i2pd, inbound and outbound variance refer to the random variation in the number of hops used in I2P tunnels. This feature is designed to enhance anonymity by making it harder to predict the exact path of data transmission.
Inbound and Outbound Variance Explained
Inbound Length Variance: This parameter allows for a random number of hops to be added or subtracted from the inbound tunnel length. The default value is 0, meaning no variance is applied by default. However, it can be set between -3 and 3, which means the actual number of hops in an inbound tunnel can vary by up to three hops more or less than the configured length[1].
Outbound Length Variance: Similar to the inbound variance, this parameter introduces randomness in the number of hops for outbound tunnels. Like inbound variance, it can also be set between -3 and 3, allowing for a dynamic adjustment of the tunnel length to improve anonymity[1].
### Purpose of Variance
The purpose of introducing variance in tunnel lengths is to make it more difficult for an attacker to identify patterns in the network traffic, which could potentially compromise user anonymity. By randomly adjusting the number of hops, the system makes it harder to trace the path of data packets.
Citations:
[1] https://i2pd.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user-guide/tunnels/
[2] https://geti2p.net/en/docs/api/streaming
[3] https://i2pd.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user-guide/configuration/
[4] https://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/old/654.pdf
[5] https://i2pplus.github.io/changelog.html
[6] https://i2pgit.org/lbt/i2p.www/-/blob/dns-application/pots/docs.pot
[7] https://github.com/anquanscan/sec-tools
[8] https://www.reddit.com/r/i2p/comments/tst4o7/whats_inboundoutboundquantity_parameter/
BiglyBT has already implemented it
https://postimg.cc/R3WPxcwh
