On the need of physical security for small embedded devices: A case study with COMP128-1 implementations in SIM cards

Yuanyuan Zhou, Yu Yu, François Xavier Standaert, Jean Jacques Quisquater

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ensuring the physical security of small embedded devices is challenging. Such devices have to be produced under strong cost constraints, and generally operate with limited power and energy budget. However, they may also be deployed in applications where physical access is indeed possible for adversaries. In this paper, we consider the case of SIM cards to discuss these issues, and report on successful side-channel attacks against several (old but still deployed) implementations of the COMP128-1 algorithm. Such attacks are able to recover cryptographic keys with limited time and data, by measuring the power consumption of the devices manipulating them, hence allowing cards cloning and communications eavesdropping. This study allows us to put forward the long term issues raised by the deployment of cryptographic implementations. It provides a motivation for improving the physical security of small embedded devices early in their development. We also use it to argue that public standards for cryptographic algorithms and transparent physical security evaluation methodologies are important tools for this purpose.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFinancial Cryptography and Data Security - 17th International Conference, FC 2013, Revised Selected Papers
Pages230-238
Number of pages9
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013
Event17th International Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data Security, FC 2013 - Okinawa, Japan
Duration: 1 Apr 20135 Apr 2013

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume7859 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference17th International Conference on Financial Cryptography and Data Security, FC 2013
Country/TerritoryJapan
CityOkinawa
Period1/04/135/04/13

Keywords

  • embedded devices
  • hardware security
  • side-channel analysis

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