Malicious Trigger Discovery in FPGA Firmware

Abstract

FPGA netlists typically consist of hundreds to thousands of decoding structures that perform device operations. Malicious circuits (Trojans) often use complex decoders to delay activation until a time of an adversarys choosing. Identifying these triggers in a sea of legitimate decodings is highly desirable, but difficult to achieve, even with the assistance of a subject matter expert. This paper presents automation, developed on the DARPA VET program, that quickly discovers suspicious trigger circuits and verifies the correct operation for legitimate decoders.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 12, 2018
Accession Number
AD1052297

Entities

People

  • John Hallman
  • Scott Harper
  • Stephen Baka
  • Timothy Dunham

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Circuits
  • Decoders
  • Decoding
  • Department Of Defense
  • Detection
  • Diagrams
  • Digital Circuits
  • Equations
  • Firmware
  • Governments
  • Logic
  • Logic Gates
  • Networks
  • Numbers
  • Switches
  • Trigger Circuits

Readers

  • Agent-Based Social Robotics and Mobile-Assisted Learning in Virtual Environments.
  • Computer Programming and Software Development.
  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.