Time Machines, Computer Memory, and Brute Force Attacks Against Smartcards

An anonymous reader writes "IEEE Spectrum reports on a method that exploits the decaying contents of unpowered computer memory to create an hourglass-like 'time machine' that rate limits brute force attacks against contactless smartcards and RFIDs. The paper takes an odd twist on the 'cold boot' attack reported four years ago at USENIX Security. Not quite as cool as a hot tub time machine though. " Full paper (PDF).

What?

[jhoegl]

Why do I have to decrypt the summary?

Re:Sounds like BS to me

[Anonymous Coward]

Unlike your top of line PC, there are a lot of constraints on an embedded chip especially one that cost pennies, can run on energy from the RF near field and amount of computation. Unlike white board software, this is real world Engineering where there is a trade-off between constraints/requirement/economic/physical that are opposite to each other. So might want to not mouth off without knowing the subject.

The chip is also highly observable and a lot of information can be deduced from the amount of time for the processing and power profile during execution.