Using information flow for security aware design and analysis

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing information flow analysis on hardware designs to identify vulnerabilities. One of the methods includes generating input signals and feeding the generated input signals into the modified hardware design to generate a plurality of information flow signals, wherein the information flow signals each associate a respective input signal with a location in the modified hardware design to which the input signal was able to reach through logic circuitry of the modified hardware design. The generated information flow signals are evaluated according to one or more security criteria to generate security results. One or more security related applications are performed to generate information representing aspects of the design that are vulnerable to insecure behavior.