# Trojan Attacks on Wireless Signal Classification with Adversarial Machine Learning

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.10766 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.10766/

## Key facts

- Cited by 15 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 23 Oct 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 15 of 15)

- [A Survey of Neural Trojan Attacks and Defenses in Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2202.07183/) (2022)
- [Adversarial Machine Learning for 5G Communications Security](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.02656/) (2021)
- [Adversarial Attacks on Deep Learning Based Power Allocation in a Massive MIMO Network](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.12090/) (2021)
- [Vulnerabilities of Deep Learning-Driven Semantic Communications to Backdoor (Trojan) Attacks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.11205/) (2022)
- [Adversarial Machine Learning for Flooding Attacks on 5G Radio Access Network Slicing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.08724/) (2021)
- [Adversarial Attacks on Deep Learning Based mmWave Beam Prediction in 5G and Beyond](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.13989/) (2021)
- [Jamming Attacks on Federated Learning in Wireless Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.05172/) (2022)
- [Membership Inference Attack and Defense for Wireless Signal Classifiers with Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.12173/) (2021)
- [Wild Networks: Exposure of 5G Network Infrastructures to Adversarial Examples](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.01531/) (2022)
- [Adversarial Attacks against Deep Learning Based Power Control in Wireless Communications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.08139/) (2021)
- [Downlink Power Allocation in Massive MIMO via Deep Learning: Adversarial Attacks and Training](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.06592/) (2022)
- [Adversarial Machine Learning and Defense Game for NextG Signal Classification with Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.11778/) (2022)
- [Covert Communications via Adversarial Machine Learning and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.11414/) (2021)
- [A Channel-Triggered Backdoor Attack on Wireless Semantic Image Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.23866/) (2025)
- [Targeted Attacks and Defenses for Distributed Federated Learning in Vehicular Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.15109/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We present a Trojan (backdoor or trapdoor) attack that targets deep learning applications in wireless communications. A deep learning classifier is considered to classify wireless signals using raw (I/Q) samples as features and modulation types as labels. An adversary slightly manipulates training data by inserting Trojans (i.e., triggers) to only few training data samples by modifying their phases and changing the labels of these samples to a target label. This poisoned training data is used to train the deep learning classifier. In test (inference) time, an adversary transmits signals with the same phase shift that was added as a trigger during training. While the receiver can accurately classify clean (unpoisoned) signals without triggers, it cannot reliably classify signals poisoned with triggers. This stealth attack remains hidden until activated by poisoned inputs (Trojans) to bypass a signal classifier (e.g., for authentication). We show that this attack is successful over different channel conditions and cannot be mitigated by simply preprocessing the training and test data with random phase variations. To detect this attack, activation based outlier detection is considered with statistical as well as clustering techniques. We show that the latter one can detect Trojan attacks even if few samples are poisoned.