Unspoofable Device Identity Using Flash Memory

wiredmikey writes with a story from Security Week that describes a security silver lining to the inevitable errors that arise in NAND flash chips. By seeking out (or intentionally causing) defects in a given part of the chip, a unique profile can be created for any device using NAND flash which the author says may be obscured, but not reproduced: "[W]e recognize devices (or rather: their flash memory) by their defects. Very much like humans recognize faces: by their defects (or deviations from the 'norm') a bigger nose, a bit too bushy eyebrows, bigger cheeks. The nice twist is that if an attacker manages to read your device identity, he cannot inscribe it into his own device. Yes, he can create errors — like we did. But he cannot control where in the block they occur as this relies solely on microscopic manufacturing defects in the silicon."

Comments

The Three Stooges

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Spoofing means to make a parody of or mis-represent.

I guess I'm too old, but for me, spoofing meant The Three Stooges : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Stooges

If they were alive today, they'd be connecting water mains to your Internet tubes, so you would get a splash in your face, when you pull the cable on your DSL.

Then you would hear, "Oh a wise guy eh? Nyuk, nyuk nyuk!"

PIC

[Anonymous Coward]

I had a shitty job making PIC microcontrollers spoof little 24C 256 byte eeproms for toner cartridges (manufactured with special locations write protected) so they could be refilled.

Reverse engineering is humilating -- definitely a flaw in capitalism. I was not doing work, I was getting paid to undo work. I get more done doing nothing, but don't get paid.

God sees nuainces, not black and white. He said reverse engineering has it's place in training young engineers. He also said adultery under special circumstances is okay--wouldn't press your luck.

I see how immigration policy is practical if not appealing to a perfectionist.

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