“As chips are pervading all segments of human life, owing to the possibility of chip-backdoors, the threats of espionage, sabotage, and the concerns to national security are haunting all of humanity”.
The threat of chip-based backdoors is raising eyebrows across the globe. Today, since chips are an integral and inevitable component of any electronic device, presence of any chip-backdoor shall have widespread consequences. Both in its expanse across the countries and myriad sectors.
Given the pervading nature of chips in electronic systems, the gravity and the extent of the problem of chip-backdoors can only be speculated. Indeed, any such speculation is alarming!
It is so because the presence of any chip-based backdoor has the potential threat of granting clandestine access to information about the functioning of any electronic system. Whether it be data centres, servers, devices used in complex and critical installations such as a nuclear-reactors, space-faring vehicles, communication devices, military assets such as warships, fighter jets, etc. No such system is immune from this looming threat.
As chips are now being used for many applications that are essential and critical for national security, any chip-backdoor is a threat to any country’s national security. It is not only an infringement of right to privacy, but also poses a grave threat to the security of all devices used by humanity in this digital age.
No wonder the threat of chip-backdoor is sending shivers down the spine of the scientific community and senior military officials!
Meaning of chip backdoor
A backdoor provides clandestine and unauthorised access to a system. It does so by bypassing the legitimate authentication to access a system.
Similarly, a chip-backdoor provides a backdoor to an electronic system by means of a semi-conductor chip. It is a subset of hardware backdoor, which provides backdoor to any hardware.
If a chip-backdoor succeeds in providing backdoor access to a chip in an electronic system, it further enables unauthorised control over the system. It can even maim or cripple a system. If it so happens, it will endanger the performance of any electronic system. Hence, it may render any system’s performance at risk.
Major effects of chip-backdoors on a system
Since a chip-backdoor provides unauthorized access to a system, it gives rise to three major effects on a system. They are as follows:
First, the collection of data about the performance of a system. This data can be processed and analysed to draw inferences about the functioning of a system.
Second, spying and surveillance on the system.
Third, the threat of sabotage to the entire system. This may cripple or maim any essential and critical system in the hour of the utmost need. Hence, it has a high capability to compromise the credibility and safety of any system in emergency situations such as a war, natural calamity, etc.
How can a chip-backdoor be introduced in a chip?
If any chip, maliciously designed or fabricated and capable of providing a backdoor, is inserted in an electronic system, it provides a chip-backdoor.
A chip-backdoor can be introduced in a chip at any of the three stages of the production of a chip. They are as follows:
First, the design stage. In this stage, chip-backdoor can be introduced by the use of third-party IP cores and the electronic design automation (EDA) tools.
Second, the fabrication stage. In this stage, chip-backdoor can be introduced by making malicious modifications to photomasks, doping processes and metal interconnects.
Third, the ATMP (assembly, testing, marking, and packaging) stage. In this stage, chip-backdoor can be introduced by making alterations to chip packaging and printed circuit board.
Why is it difficult to detect a chip-backdoor?
Most important reasons that make detection of chip-backdoor difficult are as follows:
First, few chip-backdoors may be so well designed that it is difficult to detect them by all methods.
Second, few chip-backdoors may disguise as accidental vulnerability. Hence, they may evade detection.
Third, it is a herculean task to scan the entire system for a single or a few backdoor capable chips.
Reported cases of chip-backdoor
Due to the possibility of introducing backdoor at every stage of the production of a chip, there exists numerous possibilities of chip-backdoors. Despite this, there exists no concrete evidence about it.
Even though few cases have been reported in the past, the private companies involved in the production of such questionable chips have vehemently denied any such allegations.
Few such reported cases are as follows:
First, researchers from the University of Cambridge discovered a backdoor in the Actel/ Microsemi ProASIC3 chip. It was being used in sensitive industrial and military applications. They used a technique called Pipeline Emission Analysis (PEA) to detect this backdoor.
Second, in 2018, Bloomberg reported that very small malicious chips were found on Supermicro server motherboards. This backdoor was allegedly being used for spying.
Third, in June, 2024, in an interview to www.moneycontrol.com, HCL’s co-founder, Mr. Ajai Choudhary, alleged that many Chinese chips in a whole range of products have backdoors.
What counter-measures have been developed so far?
Only few counter-measures have been developed so far to detect chip-backdoor. They are as follows:
First, as per a report from the Business Insider published in May, 2012, Mr. Skorobogatov, a researcher from the University of Cambridge, developed a method to detect malicious chips in a system.
Second, as per a report from the TechRepublic published in 2016, researchers from the New York University developed a method to detect a chip’s operation by means of verifiable computing.
Third, as per a report published in the IEEE Spectrum in 2019, researchers from the University of Southern California and Paul Scherrer Institute developed the Ptychographic X-ray laminography. This technique enables verification of the blueprint of chips and their design without even minutely interfering with the chip or its functioning.
Concerns about the looming threat of chip backdoor
The mounting concerns about the looming threat of chip-backdoor steams from many factors. Few of them are as enumerated below:
First, as chips pervade all electronic systems, the possibility of the presence of backdoor in any critical installation becomes very high. It is only possible if the chip is capable of a backdoor, though.
Second, since the production of chip across all the stages of its production today spans across many locations and vendors, it is a herculean task to identify the exact coordinates of the origin of a chip-backdoor.
Third, any component of an electronic system that has the potential of activating a chip-backdoor has the potential to stay dormant for a considerable time. It gets triggered only when specific requisite conditions arise. These conditions make the chip-backdoor functional from that instant of time when such specific requisite conditions are met.
Fourth, the expenditure incurred in scanning for a backdoor-capable chip in a system is so high that it is not at all an economical option to opt for. As the deciding factor in today’s global market is the most competitive cost of production, the economic cost of production trumps all other factors.
The way forward
One method to evade the threat of chip-backdoor is to use only chips produced indigenously and by the most trusted source for all essential and critical applications involved in national security.
Besides, the scientific community of all countries has to come together to develop the most efficient and cost-effective method to detect a chip-backdoor in any system. It is sine qua non to ensure the safety and security of all of humanity in this digital age. It is a must do thing. And, it must be accomplished at the earliest.
