Screaming Channels Revisited: Encryption Key Recovery from AES-CCM Accelerator

In this paper, we demonstrate the first successful extraction of the encryption key from the hardware AES accelerator in the nRF52832 Bluetooth Low Energy system-on-chip operating in Counter with CBC-MAC (CCM) mode using side-channel information recovered from RF signals. This attack marks a significant milestone, as previous attempts to break this accelerator were unsuccessful. Our results provide a critical insight into the proprietary hardware AES-CCM accelerator in the nRF52832, paving the way for future enhancements to its resistance to side-channel attacks. All the related data are made available to the research community to promote further analysis.

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Publication Details

Published
2025-05-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1109/iscas56072.2025.11044226
Primary Topic
Chaos-based Image/Signal Encryption
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Screaming Channels Revisited: Encryption Key Recovery from AES-CCM Accelerator

Ruize Wang, Elena Dubrova, Yanning Ji
Chaos-based Image/Signal Encryption
article

Screaming Channels Revisited: Encryption Key Recovery from AES-CCM Accelerator

Ruize Wang, Elena Dubrova, Yanning Ji
article en

Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate the first successful extraction of the encryption key from the hardware AES accelerator in the nRF52832 Bluetooth Low Energy system-on-chip operating in Counter with CBC-MAC (CCM) mode using side-channel information recovered from RF signals. This attack marks a significant milestone, as previous attempts to break this accelerator were unsuccessful. Our results provide a critical insight into the proprietary hardware AES-CCM accelerator in the nRF52832, paving the way for future enhancements to its resistance to side-channel attacks. All the related data are made available to the research community to promote further analysis.

KTH Royal Institute of Technology (SE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 87%
Chaos-based Image/Signal Encryption
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