Dynamic Reset Glitch Filtering for Secure Process Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current glitch filters in data processing systems are unable to differentiate between harmless noise and malicious glitches, making it difficult to effectively prevent glitch attacks that can compromise secure data processing systems.
Innovation Solution
A glitch security detection hardware system that deactivates reset glitch filters during critical security processes, allowing for immediate reset reactions to prevent unintended system conditions, and provides configurable reset reactions to protect against glitch attacks, while retaining filtering benefits during normal runtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If glitch filters are always active to filter natural noise and fluctuations, then system stability is improved, but security protection against malicious glitch attacks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The glitch filter is made dynamically controllable through a control register that allows the filter enable input setting to be changed between active and inactive states. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to activate the filter during normal operation for stability and deactivate it during security-sensitive processes for enhanced protection, resolving the contradiction between stability and security.
2Reliability
If glitch filters are deactivated during security processes to detect malicious glitches, then security protection is improved, but system stability deteriorates due to potential false reactions to natural noise
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the glitch filter state based on operational context. During security-sensitive processes, the filter is deactivated to allow detection of malicious glitches. During normal operation, the filter is reactivated to maintain system stability by filtering natural noise and fluctuations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively deactivates the glitch filter before security-sensitive processes begin and reactivates it after they complete. This preliminary action ensures that the filter is in the correct state to either detect attacks or filter noise, preventing false reactions while maintaining security.
3Stability of the object's composition
If glitch filters are kept active during security-sensitive processes to maintain stability, then system stability is preserved, but the ability to detect and respond to glitch attacks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The glitch filter's enable state is dynamically controlled based on the security sensitivity of the current process. During security-sensitive processes, the filter is deactivated to allow glitch attacks to be detected and trigger appropriate responses. During non-critical processes, the filter remains active to maintain stability.
4Loss of time
If glitch filters are deactivated to allow immediate reset reactions, then security response time is improved, but unnecessary resets due to natural noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches the glitch filter state based on operational context. During security-sensitive processes, the filter is deactivated to enable immediate reset reactions to malicious glitches, reducing security response time. During normal operation, the filter is active to prevent unnecessary resets caused by natural noise and fluctuations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively deactivates the glitch filter before security-sensitive processes begin, ensuring that any malicious glitch can trigger an immediate reset response. After the security process completes, the filter is reactivated to prevent unnecessary resets from natural noise during normal operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system, and apparatus are provided for preventing glitch attacks by using a glitch processing hardware unit (1) to deactivate a glitch filter connected between the monitored line and a reset processing unit in response to detecting a voltage glitch on a monitored line during a specified security system sequence and (2) to automatically drive a requested reaction in response to the voltage glitch by driving one of a plurality of configurable reactions comprising a device reset reaction and a process restart request, thereby preventing the voltage glitch from maliciously influencing the specified security system sequence.