M3S-UPD: Efficient Multi-Stage Self-Supervised Learning for Fine-Grained Encrypted Traffic Classification with Unknown Pattern Discovery

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yuan, Yali, Huang, Yu, Zeng, Xingjian, Mei, Hantao, Cheng, Guang
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866913861653757952
author Yuan, Yali
Huang, Yu
Zeng, Xingjian
Mei, Hantao
Cheng, Guang
author_facet Yuan, Yali
Huang, Yu
Zeng, Xingjian
Mei, Hantao
Cheng, Guang
contents The growing complexity of encrypted network traffic presents dual challenges for modern network management: accurate multiclass classification of known applications and reliable detection of unknown traffic patterns. Although deep learning models show promise in controlled environments, their real-world deployment is hindered by data scarcity, concept drift, and operational constraints. This paper proposes M3S-UPD, a novel Multi-Stage Self-Supervised Unknown-aware Packet Detection framework that synergistically integrates semi-supervised learning with representation analysis. Our approach eliminates artificial segregation between classification and detection tasks through a four-phase iterative process: 1) probabilistic embedding generation, 2) clustering-based structure discovery, 3) distribution-aligned outlier identification, and 4) confidence-aware model updating. Key innovations include a self-supervised unknown detection mechanism that requires neither synthetic samples nor prior knowledge, and a continuous learning architecture that is resistant to performance degradation. Experimental results show that M3S-UPD not only outperforms existing methods on the few-shot encrypted traffic classification task, but also simultaneously achieves competitive performance on the zero-shot unknown traffic discovery task.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_21462
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle M3S-UPD: Efficient Multi-Stage Self-Supervised Learning for Fine-Grained Encrypted Traffic Classification with Unknown Pattern Discovery
Yuan, Yali
Huang, Yu
Zeng, Xingjian
Mei, Hantao
Cheng, Guang
Cryptography and Security
The growing complexity of encrypted network traffic presents dual challenges for modern network management: accurate multiclass classification of known applications and reliable detection of unknown traffic patterns. Although deep learning models show promise in controlled environments, their real-world deployment is hindered by data scarcity, concept drift, and operational constraints. This paper proposes M3S-UPD, a novel Multi-Stage Self-Supervised Unknown-aware Packet Detection framework that synergistically integrates semi-supervised learning with representation analysis. Our approach eliminates artificial segregation between classification and detection tasks through a four-phase iterative process: 1) probabilistic embedding generation, 2) clustering-based structure discovery, 3) distribution-aligned outlier identification, and 4) confidence-aware model updating. Key innovations include a self-supervised unknown detection mechanism that requires neither synthetic samples nor prior knowledge, and a continuous learning architecture that is resistant to performance degradation. Experimental results show that M3S-UPD not only outperforms existing methods on the few-shot encrypted traffic classification task, but also simultaneously achieves competitive performance on the zero-shot unknown traffic discovery task.
title M3S-UPD: Efficient Multi-Stage Self-Supervised Learning for Fine-Grained Encrypted Traffic Classification with Unknown Pattern Discovery
topic Cryptography and Security
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.21462