Susceptibility of Sensors to IEMI Attacks

The use of sensors has grown dramatically in recent years and many devices rely on the information provided by them. The potential vulnerability of sensors to attacks that use Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI) needs to be investigated. These attacks can cause typical errors such as a forced restart of a system, capturing erroneous sensor data, data communication being impeded or even disrupted, as well as a complete freeze of all processes. In order to measure the susceptibility of sensors to IEMI, it is important to understand the internal mechanisms that lead to the undesired effect. This paper investigates the impact of IEMI on three separate sensors: a Barometer, a Magnetometer and Current Sense Sensor. Having full access to sensor ports and interface information may help to explain erroneous values and could lead to the development of protective measures in the future.