Electromagnetic Attack
Electromagnetic attacks measure the EM emanations of a cryptographic device during operation and recover the key by analyzing their correlation with it.
Purpose
They assess smart cards’ and embedded devices’ resistance to EM leakage, which is harder to shield than power analysis (radiation escapes in all directions).
Mechanism
A near-field probe captures EM emanations from the crypto chip during execution; after amplification and spectral analysis, DPA/CPA statistics extract the key. No physical contact with the device’s power supply is needed.
Use cases
- Smart-card EM security assessment
- Embedded-cryptography side channels
- TEMPEST research