Detecting Hardware Trojans in Microprocessors via Hardware Error Correction Code-based Modules

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Palumbo, Alessandro, Salvador, Ruben
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Palumbo, Alessandro
Salvador, Ruben
author_facet Palumbo, Alessandro
Salvador, Ruben
contents Software-exploitable Hardware Trojans (HTs) enable attackers to execute unauthorized software or gain illicit access to privileged operations. This manuscript introduces a hardware-based methodology for detecting runtime HT activations using Error Correction Codes (ECCs) on a RISC-V microprocessor. Specifically, it focuses on HTs that inject malicious instructions, disrupting the normal execution flow by triggering unauthorized programs. To counter this threat, the manuscript introduces a Hardware Security Checker (HSC) leveraging Hamming Single Error Correction (HSEC) architectures for effective HT detection. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed solution achieves a 100% detection rate for potential HT activations, with no false positives or undetected attacks. The implementation incurs minimal overhead, requiring only 72 #LUTs, 24 #FFs, and 0.5 #BRAM while maintaining the microprocessor's original operating frequency and introducing no additional time delay.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_15417
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Detecting Hardware Trojans in Microprocessors via Hardware Error Correction Code-based Modules
Palumbo, Alessandro
Salvador, Ruben
Cryptography and Security
Software-exploitable Hardware Trojans (HTs) enable attackers to execute unauthorized software or gain illicit access to privileged operations. This manuscript introduces a hardware-based methodology for detecting runtime HT activations using Error Correction Codes (ECCs) on a RISC-V microprocessor. Specifically, it focuses on HTs that inject malicious instructions, disrupting the normal execution flow by triggering unauthorized programs. To counter this threat, the manuscript introduces a Hardware Security Checker (HSC) leveraging Hamming Single Error Correction (HSEC) architectures for effective HT detection. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed solution achieves a 100% detection rate for potential HT activations, with no false positives or undetected attacks. The implementation incurs minimal overhead, requiring only 72 #LUTs, 24 #FFs, and 0.5 #BRAM while maintaining the microprocessor's original operating frequency and introducing no additional time delay.
title Detecting Hardware Trojans in Microprocessors via Hardware Error Correction Code-based Modules
topic Cryptography and Security
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.15417