Side channel attacks on wallets
Greetings to you all!
.jpg)
Side channel attacks at wallets are types of security threat which targets implementation of crypto wallets instead of underlying crypto algorithms. These are attacks which may exploit information related to execution environment of wallets like time, consumption of power or memory access patterns for compromising of wallet's security.
There are different types of side channel attacks at wallets which may include;
| Timing attacks |
|---|
Exploitation of time which they takes for performing different operations for deduction of information related to wallet's private keys.
| Power analysis attacks |
|---|
Analyzation of power consumption of wallet for identification of patterns which may expose sensitive information.
| Memory attacks |
|---|
Exploiting in that way in which wallet may stores and accesses sensitive information in memory for extraction of private keys.
| Electromagnetic attacks |
|---|
Usage of electromagnetic emissions from wallet hardware for extracting sensitive information.
| Cache attack |
|---|
Exploitation of the cache hierarchy of hardware of wallet for approaching sensitive data.
| Data leakage attacks |
|---|
Exploitation of wallet's data leak out vulnerabilities for extract out of sensitive data.
| Microarchitectural attacks |
|---|
Exploitation of wallet microarchitectural vulnerabilities so that we may extract personal information.
.jpg)
For protecting against side channel attacks wallet implementers can use coffee countermeasures like I am explaining in below points;
Secure practices of coding.
Data obfuscation.
Anti tampering methods by different tools and techniques.
Secure storing of keys.
Regular security audits.
Hardware based security solutions.
Secure enclave technology.
Constant time algorithms.
Strong encryption of data.
Access control mechanisms
It is most important for wallet developers to stay updated and aware about these attacks and implementation of appropriate countermeasures for ensuring security of their users crypto assets.More over, users should also take precautionary measures like usage of strong passwords which may enable two-factor authentication, and keeping of their software more updated. By having an understanding of risks and taking appropriate measures we can easily protect our digital assets from sidechannel attacks on wallets.