Every day, people rely on computer chips to keep sensitive information safe.
These tiny pieces of hardware help protect everything from online banking details and personal data to government and military secrets.
But new research suggests that some chips could contain hidden threats that are almost impossible to detect using current security methods.
Researchers from North Dakota State University (NDSU) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville have discovered a new type of hardware attack that can secretly steal information while remaining invisible to standard security checks.
The good news is that they have also developed a powerful new method to detect these threats before the chips are manufactured.
Modern computer chips are often designed, produced, and assembled by different companies in different countries.
While this global supply chain helps make technology more affordable and advanced, it also creates opportunities for malicious actors to tamper with chip designs.
The researchers focused on a special type of chip design known as Pre-Charge Half Buffer (PCHB) asynchronous circuits.
These chips are valued because they can operate reliably in demanding environments, including spacecraft, military equipment, and automotive systems.
The team investigated how attackers could secretly insert malicious components, known as hardware Trojans, into these chips. Unlike computer viruses or malware that infect software, hardware Trojans are built directly into the physical design of a chip.
What makes these newly discovered Trojans particularly dangerous is their ability to remain hidden. During normal operation, they appear completely harmless and pass all existing security tests. However, when they receive a specially crafted and unusual input, they become active and can begin leaking sensitive information, such as encryption keys used to protect confidential data.
The researchers created three different types of hardware Trojans designed specifically for PCHB circuits. These hidden threats require very little extra hardware, making them extremely difficult to detect through physical inspection.
To address the problem, the team developed a new detection system based on formal mathematical verification. Instead of waiting until chips are manufactured, the method examines chip designs during the development stage and searches for signs of hidden malicious behavior.
The researchers tested their approach on 28 different chip designs, including large encryption circuits containing up to 2,048 bits. The system successfully identified every hidden Trojan, achieving 100% detection accuracy in their tests.
Detecting threats before manufacturing offers a major advantage. Finding security flaws after production can be expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes impossible to fix. By identifying problems early, manufacturers can prevent compromised chips from ever reaching the market.
The researchers believe their findings highlight a growing challenge for the technology industry. As computer chips become more complex and artificial intelligence helps accelerate chip design, hidden hardware attacks may become increasingly sophisticated.
The team hopes their detection methods will eventually become part of standard chip design practices across the industry. They are now working on extending the technology to even more advanced chip architectures and developing automated tools that can be easily integrated into industrial design workflows.
Their work represents an important step toward ensuring that the hardware powering modern technology remains secure, trustworthy, and resistant to hidden attacks.
