HARDWARE VULNERABILITIES
INSTRUCTOR: JOHNREY RITA
SUBJECT: INFORMATION ASSURANCE AND SECURITY 1
PREPARED BY: BSIT 2B
REPORTERS: APEROCHO
ABETO
IMPORTANTE
TUBAL
HARDWARE VULNERABILITIES
Hardware vulnerabilities represent a significant threat to the
security of computer systems. Unlike software vulnerabilities, which
can be patched with updates, hardware vulnerabilities are often
inherent to the design or manufacturing process of a device and
are much harder, if not impossible, to fix. These vulnerabilities can
be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access, steal data, or
disrupt operations.
TYPES OF HARDWARE VULNERABILITIES
SIDE-CHANNEL ATTACKS
DESIGN FLAWS
MANUFACTURING EFFECTS
PHYSICAL ATTACKS
1) SIDE-CHANNEL ATTACKS: These attacks exploit information leaked through
unintended channels, such as power consumption, electromagnetic emissions, or timing
variations.
Examples includes:
Power analysis: Attackers monitor the power consumption of a device to infer
information about the data being processed. Differential Power Analysis [DPA] is a
sophisticated technique that can extract cryptographic keys from devices.
ELECTOMAGNETIC ANALYSIS [ema]: Similar to power analysis, EMA exploits
electromagnetic emission to glean sensitive data.
CACHE TIMING ATTACKS: These attacks exploit variations in cache access time to
infer information about the data being processed. This can be used to steal
cryptographic keys or other sensitive data.
2) DESIGN FLAWS: These vulnerabilities are inherent to the design of a hardware
component and are difficult or impossible to mitigate after manufacturing.
Example includes:
BACKDOORS: Deliberately inserted vulnerabilities are that allows unauthorized
access to a system.
hardware TROJANS: Malicious components embedded during manufacturing
process.
Unpatched firmware: Outdated or unpatched firmware can contain
vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.
3) MANUFACTURING DEFECTS: These vulnerabilities arise from errors during the
manufacturing process.
Examples include:
Faculty components : Defective components can lead to unpredictable behavior
and security vulnerabilities.
SUPPLY CHAIN ATTACKS: Malicious actors can compromise the supply chain to
introduce faulty components or hardware trojans into devices.
4) PHYSICAL ATTACKS: These attacks involve direct physical access to the hardware.
Examples include:
MEMORY DUMPING: Attackers can physically remove memory chips and extract data.
HARDWARE CLONING: Attackers can clone hardware components to create copies.
Tampering: Attackers can physically tamper with hardware components to alter their
behavior.
MITIGATION STRATEGIES OF HARDWARE VULNERABILITIES
Secure design: Designing hardware with security in mind from the outset is
crucial. This includes incorporating robust security features and minimizing the
attack surface.
Secure manufacturing : Implementing secure manufacturing processes to
prevent the introduction of hardware trojans or other malicious components.
Regular firmware updates: Keeping firmware up-to-date is essential to patch
known vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies of hardware vulnerabilities
Hardware security modules: HSMs are dedicated hardware devices that
protect cryptographic keys and other sensitive data.
THREAT MODELING: Identifying potential hardware vulnerabilities and developing
mitigation strategies.
PHYSICAL SECURITY: Implementing physical security measures to prevent
unauthorized access to hardware.
