3. Physical attacks

Embedded systems are based on a more or less complex hardware layer, which exposes them to numerous so-called "physical" attacks. These are numerous and varied, and their feasibility depends mainly on the means (hardware equipment, number of available test vectors, physical access), knowledge (access to detailed technical documentation, access to data, experience) and time available to the attacker. After presenting the taxonomy of physical attacks, this section presents the main physical attacks, from the most difficult to the most easily achieved.