Executable Noise Injection for Side-Channel Attack Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Side-channel attacks pose a significant threat to software security, especially in regulated domains where updating software to counter new threats is costly and risky, and existing countermeasures are inadequate for old or integrity-protected software.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a noise-injection mode during executable execution, triggered by specific events, to introduce noise and obscure timing and electromagnetic signatures, using execution manifests and profiling to determine vulnerability and adjust noise levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If noise injection mode is activated to thwart side-channel attacks, then security against side-channel attacks is improved, but performance of the executable may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The noise injection mode is activated periodically or conditionally based on triggers identified during executable execution, rather than continuously. This allows security protection to be applied only when needed, reducing performance overhead while maintaining effectiveness against side-channel attacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the noise injection mode activation state based on triggers detected during execution. The processing circuitry identifies triggers and activates or deactivates the noise injection mode accordingly, enabling adaptive security protection that balances security and performance.
2Reliability
If continuous protection is provided against side-channel attacks, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the core security function into a dedicated noise injection mode that can be independently activated. By separating the security mechanism from the main execution flow, the system reduces overall complexity while maintaining effective protection against side-channel attacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing circuitry acts as an intermediary between the executable and the execution environment, managing the noise injection mode activation. This intermediary layer simplifies the system architecture by centralizing the security control logic and making it easier to implement and maintain.
3Productivity
If triggers are identified to control noise injection mode, then performance overhead is reduced, but difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses execution manifests and profiling information that are provided with or about the executable to automatically identify triggers. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex manual trigger detection, reducing performance overhead while simplifying the measurement and detection process.
Solution Approach 2:
Trigger identification is performed in advance through profiling and execution manifest analysis before the actual execution. By preparing trigger information beforehand, the system avoids complex real-time detection during execution, reducing both performance overhead and measurement difficulty.
Data Source
AI summary
Various examples relate to apparatuses, methods, and computer programs for executing an executable, and to a method for distributing software or firmware. An apparatus for executing an executable comprises interface circuitry, machine-readable instructions, and processing circuitry for executing the machine-readable instructions to identify, for the executable, a trigger to activate or deactivate a noise injection mode during execution of the executable, the noise injection mode being suitable for introducing noise during execution of the executable, and activate or deactivate the noise injection mode based on the identified trigger.