NeuroHammer: Inducing Bit-Flips in Memristive Crossbar Memories

TL;DR

NeuroHammer reveals a security vulnerability in ReRAM crossbar memories where thermal crosstalk can induce bit-flips, posing risks for neuromorphic computing systems, demonstrated through simulation and analysis of physical parameters.

Contribution

The paper introduces NeuroHammer, a novel security threat exploiting thermal crosstalk to deliberately induce bit-flips in ReRAM crossbars, with a simulation framework to evaluate its effectiveness.

Findings

Thermal crosstalk can cause targeted bit-flips in ReRAM devices.

Simulation results show the impact of physical parameters on attack success.

Security implications highlight potential risks for neuromorphic systems.

Abstract

Emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies offer unique advantages in energy efficiency, latency, and features such as computing-in-memory. Consequently, emerging NVM technologies are considered an ideal substrate for computation and storage in future-generation neuromorphic platforms. These technologies need to be evaluated for fundamental reliability and security issues. In this paper, we present \emph{NeuroHammer}, a security threat in ReRAM crossbars caused by thermal crosstalk between memory cells. We demonstrate that bit-flips can be deliberately induced in ReRAM devices in a crossbar by systematically writing adjacent memory cells. A simulation flow is developed to evaluate NeuroHammer and the impact of physical parameters on the effectiveness of the attack. Finally, we discuss the security implications in the context of possible attack scenarios.