Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Microarchitectural timing attacks exploit subtle timing variations caused by hardware behaviors to leak sensitive information. In this paper, we introduce MCHammer, a novel side-channel technique that leverages machine clears induced by self-modifying code detection mechanisms. Unlike most traditional techniques, MCHammer does not require memory access or waiting periods, making it highly efficient. We compare MCHammer to the classical Flush+Reload technique, improving in terms of trace granularity, providing a powerful side-channel attack vector. Using MCHammer, we successfully recover keys from a deployed implementation of a cryptographic tool. Our findings highlight the practical implications of MCHammer and its potential impact on real-world systems.
Author: Billy Bob Brumley
Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4407632383