Microarchitectural Weird Machine

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Yuval Yarom
• Subject Area: Security and Dependability, Operating-, Communication- and Distributed Systems
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 560392681

The microarchitecture of modern computers is extremely intricate, giving rise to emergent behavior. Recent research has demonstrated that such behavior is complex enough to allow "weird machines" that can perform arbitrary computation. While past research has identified several ways of constructing these weird machines and has highlighted their impact on system security, there are still significant gaps in our understanding of these weird machines and the risks their pose. In this proposal, we aim at filling these gaps. We will investigate microarchitectural weird machines to better understand how they are constructed, what their security impact is, and how to automate their detection. Through a systematic analysis of this newly discovered phenomena, we expect to enhance the scientific knowledge and to provide better security for computer systems.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Israel
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Anirban Chakraborty
• International Co-Applicant: Dr. Eyal Ronen, Ph.D.