Cache storage attacks

Abstract

Covert channels are a fundamental concept for cryptanalytic side-channel attacks. Covert timing channels use latency to carry data, and are the foundation for timing and cache-timing attacks. Covert storage channels instead utilize existing system bits to carry data, and are not historically used for cryptanalytic side-channel attacks. This paper introduces a new storage channel made available through cache debug facilities on some embedded microprocessors. This channel is then extended to a cryptanalytic side-channel attack on AES software.