Applying circuit delay-based physically unclonable functions (PUFs) for masking operation of memory-based PUFs to resist invasive and clone attacks

1. A method operational by an authentication device, comprising:

receiving a device identifier associated with an electronic device;

sending a circuit delay-based physically unclonable function (PUF) challenge and a memory cell-based PUF challenge to the electronic device;

receiving a response from the electronic device, the response including characteristic information generated from a memory cell-based PUF and a circuit-delay based PUF in the electronic device;

identifying pre-stored responses specific to the electronic device using the electronic device identifier; and

authenticating the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory cell-based PUF challenge and the circuit delay-based PUF challenge are selected from a plurality of challenges for which responses were previously obtained from the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-stored responses were obtained at a manufacturing stage or pre-deployment stage of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identifier is received prior to sending the circuit delay-based PUF challenge and the memory cell-based PUF challenge.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identifier is received along with the response.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory cell-based PUF challenge sent to the electronic device is a challenge masked by a pre-stored response to the circuit-delay based PUF challenge.

7. An authentication device, comprising:

a communication interface to communicate with an electronic device; and

a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the communication interface, wherein the processing circuit is adapted to:

receive a device identifier associated with the electronic device;

send a circuit delay-based physically unclonable function (PUF) challenge and a memory cell-based PUF challenge to the electronic device;

receive a response from the electronic device, the response including characteristic information generated from a memory cell-based PUF and a circuit-delay based PUF in the electronic device;

identify pre-stored responses specific to the electronic device using the electronic device identifier; and

authenticate the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received.

8. The authentication device of claim 7 , wherein the memory cell-based PUF challenge and the circuit delay-based PUF challenge are selected from a plurality of challenges for which responses were previously obtained from the electronic device.

9. The authentication device of claim 7 , wherein the memory cell-based PUF challenge sent to the electronic device is a challenge masked by a pre-stored response to the circuit-delay based PUF challenge.

10. An authentication device, comprising:

means for receiving a device identifier associated with an electronic device;

means for sending a circuit delay-based physically unclonable function (PUF) challenge and a memory cell-based PUF challenge to the electronic device;

means for receiving a response from the electronic device, the response including characteristic information generated from a memory cell-based PUF and a circuit-delay based PUF in the electronic device;

means for identifying pre-stored responses specific to the electronic device using the electronic device identifier; and

means for authenticating the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having one or more instructions stored thereon, which when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

receiving a device identifier associated with an electronic device;

send a circuit delay-based physically unclonable function (PUF) challenge and a memory cell-based PUF challenge to the electronic device;

receive a response from the electronic device, the response including characteristic information generated from a memory cell-based PUF and a circuit-delay based PUF in the electronic device;

identify pre-stored responses specific to the electronic device using the electronic device identifier; and

authenticate the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein authenticating the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received includes:

determining that the response received matches or is a function of a pre-stored response for the memory cell-based PUF challenge.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received includes:

obtaining an intermediate challenge based on a function of the memory cell-based PUF challenge and a pre-stored response to the circuit delay-based PUF challenge; and

determining that the response received matches or is a function of a stored response for the intermediate challenge.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

obtaining the intermediate challenge by performing an exclusive OR operation on the memory cell-based PUF challenge with the pre-stored response to the circuit delay-based PUF challenge.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received includes:

obtaining a modified response based on a function of the response received and a pre-stored response for the circuit delay-based PUF challenge; and

determining that the modified response matches or is a function of the memory cell-based PUF response.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

obtaining the modified response by performing an exclusive OR operation on the response received with one of (i) the pre-stored response for the circuit delay-based PUF challenge, or (ii) a cryptographic hash of the pre-stored response for the circuit delay-based PUF challenge.

17. The authentication device of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit adapted to authenticate the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received includes the processing circuit adapted to:

determine that the response received matches or is a function of a pre-stored response for the memory cell-based PUF challenge.

18. The authentication device of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit adapted to authenticate the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received includes the processing circuit adapted to:

obtain an intermediate challenge based on a function of the memory cell-based PUF challenge and a pre-stored response to the circuit delay-based PUF challenge; and

determine that the response received matches or is a function of a stored response for the intermediate challenge.

19. The authentication device of claim 18 , wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to:

obtain the intermediate challenge by performing an exclusive OR operation on the memory cell-based PUF challenge with the pre-stored response to the circuit delay-based PUF challenge.

20. The authentication device of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit adapted to authenticate the electronic device by comparing the pre-stored responses and the response received includes the processing circuit adapted to:

obtain a modified response based on a function of the response received and a pre-stored response for the circuit delay-based PUF challenge; and

determine that the modified response matches or is a function of the memory cell-based PUF response.

21. The authentication device of claim 20 , wherein the processing circuit is further adapted to:

obtain the modified response by performing an exclusive OR operation on the response received with one of (i) the pre-stored response for the circuit delay-based PUF challenge, or (ii) a cryptographic hash of the pre-stored response for the circuit delay-based PUF challenge.