Beyond the Bridge: Contention-Based Covert and Side Channel Attacks on Multi-GPU Interconnect

arXiv:2404.03877v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: High-speed interconnects, such as NVLink, are integral to modern multi-GPU systems, acting as a vital link between CPUs and GPUs. This study highlights the vulnerability of multi-GPU systems to covert and side channel attacks due to congestion on interconnects. An adversary can infer private information about a victim's activities by monitoring NVLink congestion without needing special permissions. Leveraging this insight, we develop a covert channel attack across two GPUs with a bandwidth of 45.5 kbps …

adversary arxiv attacks beyond bridge can channel covert cpus cs.cr gpu gpus high interconnect link speed study systems vulnerability