Timing Camouflage Enabled State Machine Obfuscation

Michaela Brunner, Tarik Ibrahimpasic, Bing Li, Grace Li Zhang, Ulf Schlichtmann, Georg Sigl

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

State machine obfuscation is an important step to harden circuits against reverse engineering. The work presents a state machine obfuscation enabled by Timing Camouflage. Flip-flops of state machines often have a combinational feedback path. This makes it challenging to directly apply Timing Camouflage. Therefore, we developed two methods to redesign a state machine, such that at least one of its flip-flops is free of combinational feedback paths while the original functionality stays the same. The Timing Camouflage enabled state machine obfuscation additionally allows a beneficial combination with logic locking. The results demonstrate that state-of-the-art techniques fail to extract a correct state machine or show decreased success in extracting a correct secret locking key from an obfuscated design.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2022 IEEE Physical Assurance and Inspection of Electronics, PAINE 2022
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9798350399097
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022
Event2022 IEEE Physical Assurance and Inspection of Electronics, PAINE 2022 - Huntsville, United States
Duration: 25 Oct 202227 Oct 2022

Publication series

Name2022 IEEE Physical Assurance and Inspection of Electronics, PAINE 2022

Conference

Conference2022 IEEE Physical Assurance and Inspection of Electronics, PAINE 2022
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityHuntsville
Period25/10/2227/10/22

Keywords

  • FSM extraction
  • FSM obfuscation
  • SAT attack
  • Timing Camouflage
  • combinational feedback path
  • sequential reverse engineering

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