Work

USBSnoop - Revealing Device Activities via USB Congestions

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: The USB protocol has become a ubiquitous standard for connecting peripherals to computers, making its security a critical concern. A recent research study demonstrated the potential to exploit weaknesses in well-established protocols, such as PCIe, and created a side-channel for leaking sensitive information by leveraging congestion within shared interfaces. Drawing inspiration from that, this project introduces an innovative approach to USB side-channel attacks via congestion. We evaluated the susceptibility of USB devices and hubs to remote profiling and side-channel attacks, identified potential weaknesses within the USB standard, and highlighted the critical need for heightened security and privacy in USB technology. Our findings discover vulnerabilities within the USB standard, which are difficult to effectively mitigate and underscore the need for enhanced security measures to protect user privacy in an era increasingly dependent on USB-connected devices.

Source: IEEE International Symposium on Hardware Oriented Security and Trust (HOST)

DOI: 10.1109/host64725.2025.11050052

Authors: Davis Ranney, Yufei Wang, A. Adam Ding, Yunsi Fei

Institution: Northeastern University

Language: English

Topic: Security and Verification in Computing

Subfield: Artificial Intelligence

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Science Foundation

Awards: Phase I IUCRC Northeastern University: Center for Hardware and Embedded System Security and Trust (CHEST), EAGER: Side Channels Go Deep - Leveraging Deep Learning for Side-channel Analysis and Protection