Real-time Schedule Randomization (TaskShuffler/ReOrder)

Team Members: Sibin Mohan, Chien-Ying Chen, Monowar Hasan

Collaborators: Negar Kiyavash, AmirEmmad Ghassami

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The high degree of predictability in real-time systems makes it possible for adversaries to launch timing inference attacks such as those based on side-channels and covert-channels. We present TaskShuffler, a schedule obfuscation method aimed at randomizing the schedule for such systems while still providing the real-time guarantees that are necessary for their safe operation. This paper also analyzes the effect of these mechanisms by presenting schedule entropy - a metric to measure the uncertainty (as perceived by attackers) introduced by TaskShuffler. These mechanisms will increase the difficulty for would-be attackers thus improving the overall security guarantees for real-time systems.

Related Publications:

• Yoon, M.K., Mohan, S., Chen, C.Y. and Sha, L., “TaskShuffler: A schedule randomization protocol for obfuscation against timing inference attacks in real-time systems.” Real-Time and Embedded Technology and Applications Symposium (RTAS), 2016 IEEE. IEEE, 2016.

• Chen, C.Y., Hasan, Ghassami, A, Mohan, S., Kiyavash, N, “REORDER: Securing Dynamic-Priority Real-Time Systems Using Schedule Obfuscation.” arXiv prerpint, 2018. [Link]