Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Embedded tutorial : security in reconfigurable scan networks

Åhlund, Joel LU ; Törmänen, Markus LU orcid and Larsson, Erik LU orcid (2026)
Abstract
Reconfigurable scan networks (RSNs) provide efficient and flexible access to on-chip logic, such as instruments for test and diagnostics, throughout a semiconductor’s lifetime. Test instruments are powerful, as they provide high controllability and observability. The availability of a high number of test instruments, as well as the standardized and easy access, makes RSNs a valuable target for an adversary. With the goal of exploiting the instruments to perform more advanced attacks. Without any security measures in place, the attacker can access the RSN directly over the test port. On top of this, the extensive use of third-party IP and untrusted actors in the semiconductor supply chain opens up for malicious logic to be injected into the... (More)
Reconfigurable scan networks (RSNs) provide efficient and flexible access to on-chip logic, such as instruments for test and diagnostics, throughout a semiconductor’s lifetime. Test instruments are powerful, as they provide high controllability and observability. The availability of a high number of test instruments, as well as the standardized and easy access, makes RSNs a valuable target for an adversary. With the goal of exploiting the instruments to perform more advanced attacks. Without any security measures in place, the attacker can access the RSN directly over the test port. On top of this, the extensive use of third-party IP and untrusted actors in the semiconductor supply chain opens up for malicious logic to be injected into the device, so called hardware trojans, causing a risk of attacks from within the RSN itself. In this embedded tutorial, we cover the risks related to RSNs, and discuss mitigation strategies to protect against attacks. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
The IEEE Latin-American Test Symposium (LATS) 2026
publisher
IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN
979-8-3195-4235-9
DOI
10.1109/LATS70329.2026.11480354
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d45fb2e6-bc63-4319-850a-010cdd80df82
date added to LUP
2026-03-06 09:04:03
date last changed
2026-05-19 10:28:16
@inproceedings{d45fb2e6-bc63-4319-850a-010cdd80df82,
  abstract     = {{Reconfigurable scan networks (RSNs) provide efficient and flexible access to on-chip logic, such as instruments for test and diagnostics, throughout a semiconductor’s lifetime. Test instruments are powerful, as they provide high controllability and observability. The availability of a high number of test instruments, as well as the standardized and easy access, makes RSNs a valuable target for an adversary. With the goal of exploiting the instruments to perform more advanced attacks. Without any security measures in place, the attacker can access the RSN directly over the test port. On top of this, the extensive use of third-party IP and untrusted actors in the semiconductor supply chain opens up for malicious logic to be injected into the device, so called hardware trojans, causing a risk of attacks from within the RSN itself. In this embedded tutorial, we cover the risks related to RSNs, and discuss mitigation strategies to protect against attacks.}},
  author       = {{Åhlund, Joel and Törmänen, Markus and Larsson, Erik}},
  booktitle    = {{The IEEE Latin-American Test Symposium (LATS) 2026}},
  isbn         = {{979-8-3195-4235-9}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  publisher    = {{IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.}},
  title        = {{Embedded tutorial : security in reconfigurable scan networks}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/LATS70329.2026.11480354}},
  doi          = {{10.1109/LATS70329.2026.11480354}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}