DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE COLLOQUIUM SERIES

Tilman Wolf, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Securing the Data Path in Programmable Packet Processors

Monday, October 24, 2011, 1-2pm, GOL-2400

ABSTRACT
Modern routers need to perform many advanced packet processing functions in
their data path. To support these expanding requirements, high-performance
multi-core embedded systems are used for packet processing. Unlike traditional
ASIC-based forwarding engines, these programmable processors are in principle
vulnerable to attacks where intruders can attempt to change the operation of the
router. This problem is particularly pressing since network processors typically do
not have the same level of protection from malware as current end-systems (e.g.,
virus scanners).
In this talk, I will discuss security vulnerabilities in network processors as well
as defense mechanisms. I will present an attack example where a software
vulnerability in the packet processing code of a router can be exploited to launch a
devastating denial-of-service attack from within a network. I will introduce the
design of a hardware system that can monitor the operation of packet processors and
stop the execution of malicious code before it can lead to an attack. I will also
present a brief overview of my research group's other work, which includes
integrating data plane programmability into the future Internet architecture,
resource management on network processors, and network virtualization.


BIOGRAPHY
Tilman Wolf is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He received a
Diploma  in informatics from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, in 1998 and a
D.Sc. in computer science in 2002 from Washington University in St. Louis. He is
engaged in research and teaching in the areas of computer networks, computer
architecture, and embedded systems. His research interests include network
processors, their application in next-generation Internet architectures, and
embedded system security. Dr. Wolf is a senior member of the IEEE and the ACM.