CacheBleed Attack
CacheBleed Attack is a type of side-channel attack that is used to steal sensitive information from a computer’s memory. This attack is known as a cache timing attack because it uses the timing differences in a computer’s cache memory to steal data.
To understand this attack, we need to first understand what cache memory is. Cache memory is a type of high-speed memory that is used to store frequently accessed data close to the CPU. This memory is much faster than the computer’s main memory and is used to speed up the performance of the computer.
Now, when we access data from the cache memory, it is stored in a specific location or cache set. And when we try to access it again, the computer checks if it is present in cache memory. If the data is present in the cache memory, then it is returned to the CPU, which speeds up the processing time.
However, if the data is not present in the cache memory, then it has to be retrieved from the main memory, which takes much longer. Now, this is where the CacheBleed Attack comes into play.
In a CacheBleed Attack, an attacker tries to measure the time it takes for the computer to retrieve data from the cache memory. And based on this timing, the attacker can guess the data that is stored in the cache memory. This attack is possible because the time it takes to retrieve data from cache memory is different from the time it takes to retrieve data from main memory.
By exploiting this timing difference, an attacker can steal sensitive information such as passwords, keys, or other confidential data from a computer’s memory.
To prevent CacheBleed Attacks, computer systems can implement various countermeasures such as randomizing the placement of data in the cache memory, using encryption to protect sensitive data, and limiting access to the cache memory to only trusted applications.