9 Side Channel Assessment Platforms and Tools for Ubiquitous Systems
149
them still require a considerable amount of time for trace collection and employ
custom (to the cryptosystem at hand) control mechanisms. There are open source
SCA trace collection setups widely used by the research community [451] but have
either very primitive support or are built on low-cost equipment that cannot endure
very sophisticated attacks without having software developed by an attacker [427].
Also, adjustments for different cryptographic devices under test are always needed,
sometimes to a great extent. There exist a few commercial companies in this
research field (Riscure [501], CRI[495]) that offer their own proprietary equipment
to the prospective crypto-analysts at a prohibitively high cost, affordable only by
high budget labs.
In this chapter we review the latest commercial, open source and experimental
trace acquisition tools and focus on their benefits and drawbacks. We also highlight
the need for a cheap, fast and automated process for sending and receiving data
between a Device under Test (DUT) and a controller. We comment on the importance of efficient control loops of DUT in order to speed-up the trace acquisition
process. Finally, we propose and describe a three step approach for controlling,
functionally validating and SCA assessing a DUT that goes beyond the traditional
control model that other solutions follow. Finally, we describe the use of our solution
using an open source hardware/software trace acquisition platform that we have
developed in our lab (FlexLeco project [427]) that consolidates the latest trends in
trace collection tools and platforms.
The rest of the chapter is organized as follows. In Sect. 9.2, the major SCA
categories and leakage assessment methodologies are described and evaluated
according to the number of traces needed. In Sect. 9.3 we overview existing open
source and commercial trace collection platforms and toolsets, and the proposed
trace collection approach is described. In Sect. 9.4, we describe the use of the
proposed approach on the FlexLeco project architecture, and discuss the benefits
of the solution. In Sect. 9.4 conclusions are provided.
9.2 Side Channel Attacks, Leakage Assessment Methods
and Problems
A typical side-channel attack (SCA) measurement and analysis setup consists of
several components, including measuring equipment (e.g., a digital signal oscilloscope), a DUT controller component that handles attacker-to-DUT communication
as well as a Personal Computer (PC). The PC is used by an attacker/evaluator for
providing input to the controller and for analyzing, with the help of programming
tools, the collected leakage trace measurements by applying signal processing
techniques on them [390]. Possible additions to this classic SCA measurement
collection and analysis setup could be some kind of pre-amplifier to boost the signals
acquired by the measuring equipment (e.g., an oscilloscope), a differential cable
to help reduce acquired measurements noise, electromagnetic probes for acquiring
149
them still require a considerable amount of time for trace collection and employ
custom (to the cryptosystem at hand) control mechanisms. There are open source
SCA trace collection setups widely used by the research community [451] but have
either very primitive support or are built on low-cost equipment that cannot endure
very sophisticated attacks without having software developed by an attacker [427].
Also, adjustments for different cryptographic devices under test are always needed,
sometimes to a great extent. There exist a few commercial companies in this
research field (Riscure [501], CRI[495]) that offer their own proprietary equipment
to the prospective crypto-analysts at a prohibitively high cost, affordable only by
high budget labs.
In this chapter we review the latest commercial, open source and experimental
trace acquisition tools and focus on their benefits and drawbacks. We also highlight
the need for a cheap, fast and automated process for sending and receiving data
between a Device under Test (DUT) and a controller. We comment on the importance of efficient control loops of DUT in order to speed-up the trace acquisition
process. Finally, we propose and describe a three step approach for controlling,
functionally validating and SCA assessing a DUT that goes beyond the traditional
control model that other solutions follow. Finally, we describe the use of our solution
using an open source hardware/software trace acquisition platform that we have
developed in our lab (FlexLeco project [427]) that consolidates the latest trends in
trace collection tools and platforms.
The rest of the chapter is organized as follows. In Sect. 9.2, the major SCA
categories and leakage assessment methodologies are described and evaluated
according to the number of traces needed. In Sect. 9.3 we overview existing open
source and commercial trace collection platforms and toolsets, and the proposed
trace collection approach is described. In Sect. 9.4, we describe the use of the
proposed approach on the FlexLeco project architecture, and discuss the benefits
of the solution. In Sect. 9.4 conclusions are provided.
9.2 Side Channel Attacks, Leakage Assessment Methods
and Problems
A typical side-channel attack (SCA) measurement and analysis setup consists of
several components, including measuring equipment (e.g., a digital signal oscilloscope), a DUT controller component that handles attacker-to-DUT communication
as well as a Personal Computer (PC). The PC is used by an attacker/evaluator for
providing input to the controller and for analyzing, with the help of programming
tools, the collected leakage trace measurements by applying signal processing
techniques on them [390]. Possible additions to this classic SCA measurement
collection and analysis setup could be some kind of pre-amplifier to boost the signals
acquired by the measuring equipment (e.g., an oscilloscope), a differential cable
to help reduce acquired measurements noise, electromagnetic probes for acquiring