Autonomous Debug Port Security for Connected Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Securing non-secure electronic circuits against various attack vectors without incurring significant costs or requiring hardware modifications is challenging, as existing methods are either costly or require substantial expertise.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a first electronic circuit with a debug port connected to a second electronic circuit, which autonomously checks the integrity of the program and data using reference data, allowing for automatic and autonomous detection of potential attacks without human intervention, and can suspend or stop the program if compromised, with the ability to transmit reports to a remote server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If generic means are implemented to secure an electronic circuit, then security is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to hardware modifications or program changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a second electronic circuit as an intermediary security checking device that connects to the debug port of the first electronic circuit. This intermediary circuit autonomously checks program integrity and execution compliance without requiring modifications to the first circuit's hardware or program, thereby improving security while avoiding additional manufacturing costs for the original circuit
Solution Approach 2:
The second electronic circuit is configured to automatically and autonomously perform security checks without human intervention. It independently verifies program integrity by comparing executed programs against reference data and monitors execution compliance, enabling self-service security verification that eliminates the need for external expert analysis and reduces operational costs
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If security checks are implemented for existing electronic circuits, then detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to required modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The second electronic circuit serves as an intermediary that connects to the existing debug port of the first electronic circuit. This approach enables attack detection without modifying the first circuit's architecture, as the intermediary leverages the existing debug interface to perform autonomous security verification of program integrity and execution
Solution Approach 2:
The second electronic circuit is designed with universal applicability to work with various existing electronic circuits that have debug ports. It performs multiple functions including program integrity verification, execution compliance monitoring, and automatic detection of attacks, making it a versatile security solution that can be applied across different circuit types without requiring circuit-specific modifications
3Loss of information
If manual debugging is performed by developers, then program analysis is possible, but time consumption and expertise requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The second electronic circuit autonomously performs program execution analysis by automatically comparing executed programs against reference data stored in its memory. It independently detects integrity violations and execution compliance issues without requiring developer intervention, thereby eliminating the time consumption and expertise requirements associated with manual debugging while maintaining comprehensive program analysis capability
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (1) such as a connected object comprising a first electronic circuit (2) comprising:a first processing unit (6) for executing a program,a first memory (8) for memorizing data during the execution of the program,a debug port (10) dedicated to checking the execution of the program from outside the first circuit,a second electronic circuit (4) connected to the debug port (10), comprising:a second memory (14) memorizing reference data related to the program,a second processing unit (12) for implementing the following steps automatically and autonomously via the debug port (10): checking the integrity of the data memorized by the first memory (8) and/or the compliance of the program's execution by the first processing unit (6) with a reference execution, assisted by the reference data.