An Empirical Bandwidth Analysis of Interrupt-Related Covert Channels

We empirically evaluate interrupt-related covert channels, in short IRCCs, a type of covert channel that leverages hardware interrupts for communication. The evaluation is based on an exploit of IRCCs that we implemented as a proof-of-concept. We use a combination of experimental evaluation and information-theoretic analysis to compute the bandwidth of the channel on a concrete system. Our analysis shows a channel bandwidth of IRCCs based on interrupts of network interface cards (NICs) of approximately 5 bit/s. Besides the channel bandwidth, our experiments revealed previously unnoticed properties of IRCCs based on interrupts of NICs. While side channels based on hardware interrupts have been discussed before, this is the first experimental evaluation of covert channels based on hardware interrupts

Principles of Security and Trust

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Principles of Security and Trust, POST 2019, which took place in Prague, Czech Republic, in April 2019, held as part of the European Joint Conference on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2019. The 10 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 27 submissions. They deal with theoretical and foundational aspects of security and trust, including on new theoretical results, practical applications of existing foundational ideas, and innovative approaches stimulated by pressing practical problems

Principles of Security and Trust

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Principles of Security and Trust, POST 2019, which took place in Prague, Czech Republic, in April 2019, held as part of the European Joint Conference on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2019. The 10 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 27 submissions. They deal with theoretical and foundational aspects of security and trust, including on new theoretical results, practical applications of existing foundational ideas, and innovative approaches stimulated by pressing practical problems