Advanced Encryption Standard

Embedded system

Computer security

Encryption

Operating system

Computer science

Side channel attack

Fault (geology)

Seismology

Geology

Computer network

Software

Fault injection

Cryptography

Channel (broadcasting)

Mobile device

Computers & Security

Today's mobile devices contain densely packaged system-on-chips (SoCs) with multi-core, high-frequency CPUs and complex pipelines. In parallel, sophisticated SoC-assisted security mechanisms have become commonplace for protecting device data, such as trusted execution environments, full-disk and file-based encryption. Both advancements have dramatically complicated the use of conventional physical attacks, requiring the development of specialised attacks. In this survey, we consolidate recent developments in physical fault injections and side-channel attacks on modern mobile devices. In total, we comprehensively survey over 50 fault injection and side-channel attack papers published between 2009-2021. We evaluate the prevailing methods, compare existing attacks using a common set of criteria, identify several challenges and shortcomings, and suggest future directions of research.

Physical fault injection and side-channel attacks on mobile devices: A comprehensive analysis