Side Channel Analysis Of Sim Cards Using Combined Higher Order Statistical Techniques

The complexity and ubiquity of computing systems is ever increasing in our modern age. From social networking to online banking, from mobile devices to home wireless media and data networks, we constantly communicate and operate through networked systems. At the same time, myriad technologies have been developed to protect the burgeoning amount of sensitive electronic information from unauthorized access. Vulnerabilities in these protection technologies still exist despite these efforts. This paper presents a statistical analysis technique for evaluating electromagnetic (EM) information leakage from Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards used in mobile computing devices, bank cards, and Smart Cards. The statistical and differential side channel analysis (SCA) techniques demonstrated here are used to create a spatial leakage map for the surface of the SIM card, as well as a temporal window of highest activity. This statistical SCA technique shows inherent resistance to frequency based noise generation, such as digital clock management circuits. The spatial leakage map and temporal window thus provide a useful basis for further focused, location-based SCA research which, as a proof of concept, aims to extract the PIN encryption algorithm and secret key from SIM cards.