Sensor-Based Covert Channels on Mobile Devices

Smartphones have become ubiquitous in our daily activities, having billions of active users worldwide. The wide range of functionalities of modern mobile devices is enriched by many embedded sensors. These sensors, accessible by third-party mobile applications, pose novel security and privacy threats to the users of the devices. Numerous research works demonstrate that user keystrokes, location, or even speech can be inferred based on sensor measurements. Furthermore, the sensor itself can be susceptible to external physical interference, which can lead to attacks on systems that rely on sensor data. In this dissertation, we investigate how reaction of sensors in mobile devices to malicious physical interference can be exploited to establish covert communication channels between otherwise isolated devices or processes. We present multiple covert channels that use sensors’ reaction to electromagnetic and acoustic interference to transmit sensitive data from nearby devices with no dedicated equipment or hardware modifications. In addition, these covert channels can also transmit information between applications within a mobile device, breaking the logical isolation enforced by the operating system. Furthermore, we discuss how sensor-based covert channels can affect privacy of end users by tracking their activities on two different devices or across two different applications on the same device. Finally, we present a framework that automatically identifies covert channels that are based on physical interference between hardware components of mobile devices. As a result of the experimental evaluation, we can confirm previously known covert channels on smartphones, and discover novel sources of cross-component interference that can be used to establish covert channels. Focusing on mobile platforms in this work, we aim to show that it is of crucial importance to consider physical covert channels when assessing the security of the systems that rely on sensors, and advocate for holistic approaches that can proactively identify and estimate corresponding security and privacy risks

Uncovering product vulnerabilities with threat knowledge graphs

Threat modeling and security assessment rely on public information on products, vulnerabilities and weaknesses. So far, databases in these categories have rarely been analyzed in combination. Yet, doing so could help predict unreported vulnerabilities and identify common threat patterns. In this paper, we propose a methodology for producing and optimizing a knowledge graph that aggregates knowledge from common threat databases (CPE, CVE, and CWE). We apply the threat knowledge graph to predict associations between threat databases, specifically between products and vulnerabilities. We evaluate the prediction performance based on historical data, using precision, recall, and F1-score metrics. We demonstrate the ability of the threat knowledge graph to uncover many associations that are currently unknown but will be revealed in the future.CNS-1908087 - National Science Foundation; ECCS-2128517 - National Science Foundation; CCF-2006628 - National Science Foundation; CNS-1717858 - National Science FoundationAccepted manuscrip

Effect of Sm-, Gd- codoping on structural modifications in aluminoborosilicate glasses under beta-irradiation

Two series of Sm-, Gd-codoped aluminoborosilicate glasses with different total rare earth content have been studied in order to examine the codoping effect on the structural modifications of beta-irradiated glasses. The data obtained by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy indicated that relative amount of Gd3+ ions located in network former position reveals non-linear dependence on Sm/Gd ratio. Besides, codoping leads to the evolution of the EPR signal attributed to defects created by irradiation: superhyperfine structure of boron oxygen hole centres EPR line becomes less noticeable and resolved with increase of Gd amount. This fact manifests that Gd3+ ions are mainly diluted in vicinity of the boron network. By Raman spectroscopy, we showed that the structural changes induced by the irradiation also reveal non-linear behaviour with Sm/Gd ratio. In fact, the shift of the Si-O-Si bending vibration modes has a clear minimum for the samples containing equal amount of Sm and Gd (50:50) in both series of the investigated glasses. In contrast, for single doped glass there is no influence of dopant's content on Si-O-Si shift (in case of Gd) or its diminution (in case of Sm) occurs which is explained by the reduction process influence. At the same time, no noticeable effect of codoping on Sm3+ intensity as well as on Sm2+ emission or on Sm reduction process was observed

Лучевые методы в диагностике удвоения желудка у детей

Introduction. Stomach doubling is one of the rarest types of gastrointestinal doubling in the system of pathology of abdominal organs in children. Stomach doubling occurs in 4–8% of cases of gastrointestinal doubling. To a greater extent, it is diagnosed in girls. The rarest localization of doubling is a small curvature of the stomach — 7%.The purpose of the study: to present the informative value of radiation methods in the diagnosis of gastric doubling by the example of a clinical case.Material and methods. The work is based on the analysis of clinical data, instrumental, histological studies performed in a children’s hospital in St. Petersburg.Results: An 8-year-old patient was hospitalized for further examination for cystic formation of the abdominal cavity, detected antenatally at 36 weeks of gestation. At the age of 2 years, MSCT angiography of the abdominal cavity was performed and a differential series between a liver cyst and a doubling of the stomach was exposed. At the control ultrasound, further negative dynamics in size. An MRI revealed that the picture most likely corresponds to a cystic doubling of the stomach. Indications for surgical treatment are exposed. Histologically confirmed variant of stomach doubling.Conclusion. The multimodal approach allows timely diagnosis of the presented pathology, differential diagnosis of gastric doubling with rare localization and determination of indications for surgical treatment. Введение. Удвоение желудка — один из наиболее редких типов удвоения желудочно-кишечного тракта в системе патологии органов брюшной полости у детей. Удвоение желудка встречается в 4–8% случаев удвоения ЖКТ. В большей степени диагностируется у девочек. Наиболее редкой локализацией удвоения является малая кривизна желудка — 7%.Цель исследования: представить информативность лучевых методов в диагностике удвоения желудка на примере клинического случая.Материалы и методы. Работа основана на анализе клинических данных, инструментальных, гистологических исследований, выполненных в детском стационаре Санкт-Петербурга.Результаты. Пациентка 8 лет, была госпитализирована для дообследования по поводу кистозного образования брюшной полости, обнаруженного на 36-й неделе гестации антенатально. В возрасте 2 лет выполнено МСКТ-ангиографии брюшной полости и выставлен дифференциальный ряд между кистой печени и удвоением желудка. На контрольных УЗИ в дальнейшем отрицательная динамика в размерах. На МРТ выявлено, что картина наиболее вероятно, соответствует кистозному удвоению желудка. Выставлены показания к хирургическому лечению. Гистологически подтвержден вариант удвоения желудка.Заключение. Мультимодальный подход позволяет своевременно диагностировать представленную патологию, провести дифференциальную диагностику удвоения желудка с редкой локализацией и определить показания к хирургическому лечению.

CORRELATION BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN CONSTITUTION AND THE INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

Objective: to prove the priority of the Constitution of the Russian Federation over international treaties by correlating the national and international acts. Methods: universal dialectical method as the method of successive development and change of legal phenomena in national and international law, as well as the systemic and the formal legal methods. Results: basing on the theories (doctrines) analysis, the correlation between national and international law, formed in the science of international law, and basing on the existing Russian legislation and judicial practice, the conclusion was made about the priority of the Russian Constitution over international treaties. Scientific novelty: for the first time, on the basis of the correlation between national and international law, the conclusion was made about the priority of the Russian Constitution over international treaties, as it prevails throughout the Russian territory. Practical value: the theoretical results formulated in this study can be used in the educational process, scientific, legislative and law-enforcement activities and in the work of scientific-pedagogical staff in the field of jurisprudence