Relay Nodes Stats and Analysis

Title : Relay Nodes Stats and Analysis

Following this post : https://www.reddit.com/r/AlgorandOfficial/comments/s73woc/there_are_only_120_relay_nodes_arent_we_vulnerable/

I figured I'd take a look at how feasible it'd be to attack Algorand's relay nodes. This is all done as an analysis and I will never actually attempt anything like this. Sending a bunch of valid transactions to the "test network" to test congestion is one thing, but DDOSing is completely illegal and is a considered by most a dick move.

Let's start by getting a list of Algorand's relay nodes, with the "dig" command.

dig _algobootstrap._tcp.mainnet.algorand.network SRV +short | awk '{print $4}' > list.txt while IFS= read -r line; do dig $line >> results.txt done < list.txt 

These are the 106 relay nodes I found on mainnet with some stats. So a bit lower than the 120 from the November 2021 faq answer (https://algorand.foundation/faq Question 22), kinda weird and I'd love an answer about this from the foundation. It might also be a mistake in the way I gathered the info.

 

Institutions/locations :

51 in AWS Datacenters

14 in Google Datacenters

8 in Universities

2 in DigitalOcean Datacenters

1 at Oracle Corporation for some reason.

1 in a Microsoft Datacenter

29 other/unknown

 

Countries :

33 United States

13 Ireland

13 Japan

11 Singapore

8 Canada

6 Germany

5 Netherlands

3 India

3 China

2 South Africa

2 Italy

1 Australia

1 Ukraine

1 Brazil

1 Belgium

1 Israel

1 Bulgaria

1 UK

 

So to cripple Algorand's network, we'd need to attack a place with few relay nodes and which is pretty isolated. Australia would seem like a good choice, there are only a few underwater cables coming out of the continent. (https://www.submarinecablemap.com/)

So let's assume we can cut off Australia's internet access to the world, what would happen? The 1 relay node would go in "Partition Recovery Mode" until it hears from other nodes in the network and all transactions coming from Australia would fail. Most importantly, the network would keep working for the rest of the world and it wouldn't fork because of double spend or block resolution. If we were to create the same scenario with bitcoin or ethereum, there would be 2 versions of the blockchains running in parallel. One in Australia, and one in the rest of the world and the community would need to come to a conscensus as to which one is the main one after the event. Or in this case, most likely the 5 big pools, showing centralization. Let's ignore whatever transactions Australia made and keep going on our side, which would most likely fork into bitcoin-aus or something like that, not a good system.

Let's assume something easier than blocking a whole continent's internet. Let's attack and shut off the relay node? Transactions from Australia will simply need to get to another Relay Node, I'd assume Singapore, and Australia's transactions would be slightly slower on the network by a few milliseconds. So nothing much really... To really throw down Algorand's network, we'd need a basically total world internet blackout, in which case Algorand's existence would be pretty damn far down the list of important things to get back up in terms of infrastructure.

Let's also not forget that we have a lot of different setups. Google Datacenters, AWS datacenters, Universities, a bunch of third party datacenters. Even if something was to throw AWS completely down all over the world, which isn't impossible but would be a huge feat in itself, Algorand would survive through the other 55 relay nodes, albeit maybe a bit slower for parts of the world. But most importantly, slower doesn't mean broken.

 

And then there's the actual centralized part of the relay nodes, the fact that they are curated by the foundation. What would happen if this list was corrupted by a bad actor and started pointing to rogue relay nodes relaying wrong information? Nothing. These messages would be ignored by the other relay nodes and by the protocol because they're invalid.

Alright, so what happens if we corrupt all relay nodes but one? Well they'll transmit messages but they'd be wrong so the only actual relay node would start to receive all traffic. Although it's most likely it'd go in partition recovery mode until we could bootstrap a bunch of legitimate relay nodes.

What happens if all relay nodes are rogue. The protocol stops since no valid transactions are being sent. This is an intersting idea though, does the protocol keep going at 0 tx per block or does it completely stop, I don't know. Because relay nodes are basically transaction aggregator, they gather all the transactions in the area and send them to the network. If transactions are invalid, the network will refuse them. I'm guessing the blockchain would stop, but I'm not quite sure. Quoting the FAQ here, but it doesn't exactly explain how : "the security of the protocol holds even if all the relays behave in a malicious way. As long as sufficiently many participation nodes (in terms of stake) are behaving honestly, the blockchain cannot fork"

Another scenario. Let's assuming Algorand calls it a day, they say "Oh well, we're done. It was a mistake" which is highly unlikely, but let's imagine this. Not a lot of people know this, but when setting up a node we can manually add relay nodes, so the community could simply continue without the foundation. https://developer.algorand.org/docs/run-a-node/reference/artifacts/#phonebookjson "You can create a relay node that is not in a SRV record." We could start up relay nodes by ourselves and keep going forward, or create our own SRV record. And don't forget Algorand's blockchain is open source, so we could start our own Algorand, with blackjack and hookers. There's also a model coming for relay nodes to become permisionless, meaning the current infrastructure we have of permissioned relay nodes only exists to bootstrap the network and show how great it is.

TLDR: It's almost impossible to attack all relay nodes on Algorand's blockchain, and even if miraculously you could, it'd only stop the protocol, not break it. GG I guess.

 

Raw Results for anybody who wants them.

DNS name	IP	Country	Institution
r-i0.algorand-mainnet.network.	31.13.239.148	Bulgaria Sofiya	Unknown
r-k4.algorand-mainnet.network.	46.37.7.68	Italy Santa Mama	Unknown
r-md.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.198.176.23	Germany Frankfurt	Unknown. Google Datacenter
r-ru.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.238.236.91	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-au.algorand-mainnet.network.	128.31.0.83	United States, Boston	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
r-ce.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.139.114.21	Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-po.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.223.196.121	United States, Columbus	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-si.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.248.214.78	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-cs.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.197.74.241	United States, Dallas	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-es.algorand-mainnet.network.	13.245.130.220	South Africa, Cape Town	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-es.algorand-mainnet.network.	13.244.181.191	South Africa, Cape Town	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-f1.algorand-mainnet.network.	31.129.255.7	Ukraine	Unknown
r7.algorand-mainnet.network.	104.16.241.21	United States, San Jose	Unknown, Cloudfare DNS
r7.algorand-mainnet.network.	104.16.220.21	United States, San Jose	Unknown, Cloudfare DNS
r-co.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.139.92.5	Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-v2.algorand-mainnet.network.	150.230.27.14	United States, Redwood City	Oracle Corporation
r-ca.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.204.11.183	Netherlands, Groningen	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-db.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.95.43.252	Canada, Montreal	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-v5.algorand-mainnet.network.	139.59.78.227	India, Bengaluru	Unknown, Digital Ocean Datacenter
r-he.algorand-mainnet.network.	13.211.197.107	Australia, Sydney	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-pd.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.245.75.86	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-cf.algorand-mainnet.network.	3.209.114.160	United States, Ashburn	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-pm.algorand-mainnet.network.	112.80.39.155	China, Nanjing	Unknown
r10.algorand-mainnet.network.	104.16.241.21	United States, San Jose	Unknown, Cloudfare DNS
r10.algorand-mainnet.network.	104.16.220.21	United States, San Jose	Unknown, Cloudfare DNS
r-no.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.244.171.45	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r13.algorand-mainnet.network.	104.16.241.21	United States, San Jose	Unknown, Cloudfare DNS
r13.algorand-mainnet.network.	104.16.220.21	United States, San Jose	Unknown, Cloudfare DNS
r-te.algorand-mainnet.network.	206.124.132.3	United States, Bellevue	Blarg! Online Services
r-np.algorand-mainnet.network.	3.234.215.38	United States, Ashburn	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-sb.algorand-mainnet.network.	92.51.244.251	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, Digiweb datacenter
r-fe.algorand-mainnet.network.	151.100.181.25	Italy, Roma	Universita Degli Studi Di Roma La Sapienza
r-gd.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.189.197.221	Belgium, Brussels	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-ge.algorand-mainnet.network.	129.97.74.19	Canada, Waterloo	University Of Waterloo
r-pu.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.90.2.247	Netherlands Groningen	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-os.algorand-mainnet.network.	64.127.128.142	United States, Boca Raton	Unknown, Brodbandone Llc
r-tc.algorand-mainnet.network.	132.67.252.201	Israel, Tel Aviv-yafo	Tel Aviv University
r-cd.algorand-mainnet.network.	52.199.96.186	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-sn.algorand-mainnet.network.	165.227.42.250	Canada, Toronto	Unknown, DigitalOcean Datacenter
r-ac.algorand-mainnet.network.	222.29.136.13	China, Beijing	China Education And Research Network
r-as.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.251.214.42	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-lr.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.179.61.53	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-rh.algorand-mainnet.network.	128.32.157.58	United States, Berkeley	University Of California
r-o0.algorand-mainnet.network.	66.135.2.28	United States Piscataway	Township Vultr Holdings Llc
r-kr.algorand-mainnet.network.	130.245.173.82	United States Stony Brook	University Of New York At Stony Brook
r-b2.algorand-mainnet.network.	89.39.110.254	Romania Bucuresti	Unknown, Lansoft-data-srl Datacenter
r-ga.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.208.255.55	United States, Ashburn	Unkown, AWS Datacenter
r-f6.algorand-mainnet.network.	45.76.54.30	Japan, Ota-ku	Vultr Holdings Llc
r-h4.algorand-mainnet.network.	52.69.255.207	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
relay-montreal-mainnet-algorand.algorand-mainnet.network.	52.60.87.11	Canada, Montreal	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
relay-montreal-mainnet-algorand.algorand-mainnet.network.	15.223.107.199	Canada, Montreal	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-mg.algorand-mainnet.network.	13.113.116.204	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-rg.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.154.156.108	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
relay-singapore-mainnet-algorand.algorand-mainnet.network.	20.43.181.97	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, Microsoft Datacenter
r-xe.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.169.15.5	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-dy.algorand-mainnet.network.	52.208.22.55	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-ag.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.225.133.123	United States, Ashburn	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-mt.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.222.60.105	United States, Council Bluffs	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-ne.algorand-mainnet.network.	3.68.83.134	Germany, Frankfurt	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-h7.algorand-mainnet.network.	209.212.146.235	United States, Arlington Heights	Unknown, Gigenet Datacenter
relay-mumbai-mainnet-algorand.algorand-mainnet.network.	3.7.171.204	India, Mumbai	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
relay-mumbai-mainnet-algorand.algorand-mainnet.network.	13.127.250.173	India, Mumbai	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-tb.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.204.42.115	Netherlands, Groningen	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-th.algorand-mainnet.network.	3.249.40.1	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
relay-singaporea-mainnet-algorand.algorand-mainnet.network.	52.76.171.86	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
relay-singaporea-mainnet-algorand.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.136.167.136	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-c9.algorand-mainnet.network.	69.174.103.109	United States, Mclean	Unknown, Packetexchange
r-v4.algorand-mainnet.network.	69.160.65.233	United States, Midway	Unknown, Prohosting
r-cm.algorand-mainnet.network.	70.164.1.120	United States, Irvine	Unknown, Millenium Systems
r-be.algorand-mainnet.network.	52.51.66.201	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-rn.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.139.50.34	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-na.algorand-mainnet.network.	52.50.33.159	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-ni.algorand-mainnet.network.	3.250.29.253	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-zn.algorand-mainnet.network.	162.217.71.226	United States, Miami	Unknown, Comintech Corp.
r-al.algorand-mainnet.network.	199.73.49.40	United States, San Diego	Unknown, Scalematrix
r-y2.algorand-mainnet.network.	139.162.92.215	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, Linode Llc
r-mn.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.203.61.15	Canada, Montreal	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-eu.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.158.118.168	Germany, Frankfurt	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-pt.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.185.83.202	Germany, Frankfurt	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-sg.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.246.140.92	Germany, Frankfurt	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-s6.algorand-mainnet.network.	138.199.4.152	Brazil, Sao Paulo	Unknown
r-br.algorand-mainnet.network.	3.80.84.186	United States, Ashburn	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-cu.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.254.44.3	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-k0.algorand-mainnet.network.	69.160.65.232	United States, Midway	Unknown, Prohosting
r12.algorand-mainnet.network.	104.16.220.21	United States, San Jose	Unknown, Cloudfare DNS
r12.algorand-mainnet.network.	104.16.241.21	United States, San Jose	Unknown, Cloudfare DNS
r-rb.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.168.120.211	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-nd.algorand-mainnet.network.	13.230.40.50	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-fm.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.150.219.87	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-c3.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.73.210.74	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-sc.algorand-mainnet.network.	13.250.172.3	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-sm.algorand-mainnet.network.	18.138.243.26	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-se.algorand-mainnet.network.	44.234.136.39	United States, Boardman	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-am.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.203.75.131	Canada, Montreal	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-bi.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.179.83.93	Singapore, Singapore	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-hf.algorand-mainnet.network.	54.217.136.29	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-s8.algorand-mainnet.network.	152.78.136.82	United Kingdom Southampton	University Of Southampton
r-ds.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.91.27.165	Netherlands Groningen	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-er.algorand-mainnet.network.	52.40.177.179	United States, Boardman	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
relay-tokyo-mainnet-algorand.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.221.100.18	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-p2.algorand-mainnet.network.	51.161.87.231	Japan, Tokyo	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-pa.algorand-mainnet.network.	3.90.158.139	United States, Ashburn	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-ho.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.249.158.191	Ireland, Dublin	Unknown, AWS Datacenter
r-bh.algorand-mainnet.network.	34.95.50.136	Canada, Montreal	Unknown, Google Datacenter
r-b7.algorand-mainnet.network.	95.179.148.133	Netherlands, Haarlem	Unknown, Vultr Holdings Llc Amsterdam
r-rf.algorand-mainnet.network.	35.246.238.112	Germany, Frankfurt	Unknown, Google Datacenter