Detecting unauthorized software execution in SDR using power fingerprinting

Software-defined radios (SDRs) are able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances with a simple software update. This ability reduces development and maintenance time, but it also makes them susceptible to malicious software attacks. An exploit in SDR can potentially expose sensitive information or disrupt critical communications infrastructure. It is crucial for the success of SDR to develop adequate mechanisms to maintain execution integrity and reduce the impact of compromised systems. A novel approach called power fingerprinting has been proposed as an effective solution to provide independent integrity assessment in SDR. Power fingerprinting relies on monitoring the dynamic power consumption and using pattern recognition to detect any deviations from authorized code execution. In this paper, we present the results of two feasibility experiments performed on a basic commercial radio platform to evaluate the applicability of power fingerprinting in security areas. The results demonstrate the ability of power fingerprinting to discriminate between the execution of test code involving encrypted and unencrypted transmissions.