* * * * *
Cold Boot Attacks on Encryption Keys
I've never given much thought to just how “dynamic” dynamic RAM (Random
Access Memory) is. I remember as a teenager reading up on computer design
(back when it involved picking a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and designing
the motherboard) and one of the darker aspects revolved around keeping the
dynamic RAM refreshed else it lose its contents. Granted, all that was
involved was ensuring certain pins got hit every unteen µseconds, but
ensuring that involved a timing circuit, a counter circuit and
synchronization circuit with the CPU.
And it was made clear that if this “refresh cycle” didn't happen, the dynamic
RAM would quickly lose its contents to a sea of zeros (there did exist
“static RAM,” which didn't need a refresh cycle, and was faster to read and
write, but it was hideously expensive, even factoring into account the
refresh circuit needed by dynamic RAM).
Never would I expect dynamic RAM to last seconds past power loss, much less
minutes.
Boy, was I wrong [1] (link via Xenophilia [2]). This has some severe security
implications. Yikes!
[1]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDaicPIgn9U
[2]
http://xenophilius.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/cold-boot-attacks-on-encryption-keys/
Email author at
[email protected]
