Detection of fault injection attacks using high-fanout networks

US9523736B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION · TW

Inventors

• Ziv Hershman · Givat Shmuel, IL
• Leonid Shamis · Melbourne, AU
• Natan Keren · Kfar Sava, IL

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 19, 2014
• Grant date: Dec 20, 2016
• Expiry date: Jun 19, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03K19/003
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting fault injection includes a high-fanout network, which spans an Integrated Circuit (IC), and circuitry. In some embodiments, the high-fanout network is continuously inactive during functional operation of the IC, and the circuitry is configured to sense signal levels at multiple sampling points in the high-fanout network, and to identify a fault injection attempt by detecting, based on the sensed signal levels, a signal abnormality in the high-fanout network. In some embodiments, the circuitry is configured to sense signal levels at multiple sampling points in the high-fanout network, to distinguish, based on the sensed signal levels, between legitimate signal variations and signal abnormalities in the high-fanout network during functional operation of the IC, and to identify a fault injection attempt by detecting a signal abnormality.