Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2013/566

Attacking PUF-Based Pattern Matching Key Generators via Helper Data Manipulation

Jeroen Delvaux and Ingrid Verbauwhede

Abstract: Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) provide a unique signature for integrated circuits (ICs), similar to a fingerprint for humans. They are primarily used to generate secret keys, hereby exploiting the unique manufacturing variations of an IC. Unfortunately, PUF output bits are not perfectly reproducible and non-uniformly distributed. To obtain a high-quality key, one needs to implement additional post-processing logic on the same IC. Fuzzy extractors are the well-established standard solution. Pattern Matching Key Generators (PMKGs) have been proposed as an alternative. In this work, we demonstrate the latter construction to be vulnerable against manipulation of its public helper data. Full key recovery is possible, although depending on system design choices. We demonstrate our attacks using a 4-XOR arbiter PUF, manufactured in 65nm CMOS technology. We also propose a simple but effective countermeasure.

Category / Keywords: PUF, secret key, helper data, fuzzy extractor, Hamming distance

Date: received 5 Sep 2013, last revised 13 Dec 2013

Contact author: jeroen delvaux at esat kuleuven be

Available format(s): PDF | BibTeX Citation

Note: Major technical and editorial revision.

Version: 20131213:110957 (All versions of this report)

Short URL: ia.cr/2013/566

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