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newaetech/chipwhisperer

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ChipWhisperer - the complete open-source toolchain for side-channel power analysis and glitching attacks

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source
Company
NewAE Technology Inc.
Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About newaetech/chipwhisperer

ChipWhisperer is a complete open-source toolchain for hardware security research, specializing in side-channel power analysis and glitching attacks. Developed by NewAE Technology Inc., the toolchain includes open-source hardware (capture board and target boards with freely available schematics and PCB layouts), open-source firmware (USB controller in C and FPGA in Verilog), and a Python software API (ChipWhisperer Capture and ChipWhisperer Analyzer) for capturing and analyzing power traces. The repository contains over 5,700 commits, documentation, tutorials, and a community forum for support. It is licensed under an open-source license and is actively maintained on GitHub.

Key Features

Open-source hardware with schematics and PCB layouts for capture board and target boards (e.g., ChipWhisperer-Lite)
Open-source firmware including USB controller (C) and FPGA for high-speed captures (Verilog)
Python API for capturing power traces (ChipWhisperer Capture) and analyzing traces (ChipWhisperer Analyzer)
Supports side-channel power analysis and glitching (fault injection) attacks
Includes many firmware examples for different target devices
Comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and community forum
GitHub repository with 1.5k stars, 361 forks, and active development (develop branch for bleeding edge)

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Complete end-to-end open-source toolchain for hardware security
  • Freely available hardware designs enable custom builds and modifications
  • Active community support via NewAE Forum and issue tracker
  • Extensive documentation and getting started guides
  • Regular updates and releases (e.g., ChipWhisperer 6.0)
Cons
  • Requires specialized hardware (capture board and target boards) for full functionality
  • Steep learning curve for those new to hardware security and side-channel analysis
  • Hardware availability may be limited or require manual assembly
  • Documentation may be overwhelming for beginners

Best For

Hardware security research and vulnerability assessmentSide-channel power analysis against embedded devicesFault injection (glitching) attacks for testing device robustnessAcademic research in cryptography and hardware securityPenetration testing of IoT devices and microcontrollers

FAQ

What is ChipWhisperer?
ChipWhisperer is an open-source toolchain dedicated to hardware security research, consisting of hardware (capture board and target boards), firmware, and software (Python API) for side-channel power analysis and glitching attacks.
What hardware is needed to use ChipWhisperer?
ChipWhisperer uses a capture board (e.g., ChipWhisperer-Lite) and a target board. Schematics and PCB layouts for both are freely available, allowing for custom builds.
Is ChipWhisperer free and open-source?
Yes, ChipWhisperer is completely open-source, including hardware designs, firmware, and software. It is available under an open-source license and is free to use.
Where can I find documentation and support?
Documentation is available at the NewAE documentation site. Support is available through the NewAE Forum and the GitHub issue tracker.