Security Evaluation of a Lightweight Cipher SPECK against Round Addition DFA

Abstract

In the cloud computing and the internet of things (IoT), various devices are connected. Therefore, to enhance the security of IoT applications, lightweight ciphers, which can be implemented in small area, have attracted attention. SPECK is a typical lightweight cipher, which is proposed by the National Security Agency (NSA), is optimized for the software implementation of microcontrollers. Regarding hardware security, the risk of fault analysis, which can easily reveal the secret key of a cryptographic circuit, is pointed out. To improve the IoT security, the study of fault analysis for SPECK is very important. This study proposes a round addition differential fault analysis method for a lightweight cipher SPECK. The proposed method uses an only one pair of ciphertext, and can reveal two round keys of SPECK. The simulation result verifies the validity of the proposed method and indicates the vulnerability of SPECK.