@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/esorics/Duflot08,
  author    = {Lo\"{\i}c Duflot},
  title     = {CPU Bugs, CPU Backdoors and Consequences on Security},
  booktitle = {ESORICS},
  year      = {2008},
  pages     = {580-599},
  ee        = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88313-5_37},
  crossref  = {DBLP:conf/esorics/2008},
  bibsource = {DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de} }

@proceedings{DBLP:conf/esorics/2008,
  editor    = {Sushil Jajodia and
               Javier L{\'o}pez},
  title     = {Computer Security - ESORICS 2008, 13th European Symposium
               on Research in Computer Security, M{\'a}laga, Spain,
               October 6-8, 2008. Proceedings},
  booktitle = {ESORICS},
  publisher = {Springer},
  series    = {Lecture Notes in Computer Science},
  volume    = {5283},
  year      = {2008},
  isbn      = {978-3-540-88312-8},
  bibsource = {DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de} }

CPU Bugs, CPU Backdoors and Consequences on Security
Loïc Duflot
Computer Science Publisher Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
ISSN 0302-9743 (Print) 1611-3349 (Online) Volume
Volume 5283/2008
Book Computer Security - ESORICS 2008
DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-88313-5
Copyright 2008
ISBN 978-3-540-88312-8
DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-88313-5_37 
Pages 580-599
Subject Collection Computer Science
SpringerLink Date Sunday, October 05, 2008  

Abstract

In this paper, we present the consequences on the security of
operating systems and virtual machine monitors of the presence of a
bug or a backdoor in x86 processors. We will not try to determine
whether the backdoor threat is realistic or not, but we will assume
that a bug or a backdoor exists and analyse the consequences on
systems. We will show how it is possible for an attacker to implement
a simple and generic CPU backdoor to be later able to bypass mandatory
security mechanisms with very limited initial privileges.  We will
explain practical difficulties and show proof of concept schemes using
a modified Qemu CPU emulator. Backdoors studied in this paper are all
usable from the software level without any physical access to the
hardware.