# Towards the Avoidance of Counterfeit Memory: Identifying the DRAM Origin

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.03395 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.03395/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 8 Nov 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Exploiting Nanoelectronic Properties of Memory Chips for Prevention of IC Counterfeiting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.09197/) (2022)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Due to the globalization in the semiconductor supply chain, counterfeit dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips/modules have been spreading worldwide at an alarming rate. Deploying counterfeit DRAM modules into an electronic system can have severe consequences on security and reliability domains because of their sub-standard quality, poor performance, and shorter life span. Besides, studies suggest that a counterfeit DRAM can be more vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. However, detecting counterfeit DRAMs is very challenging because of their nature and ability to pass the initial testing. In this paper, we propose a technique to identify the DRAM origin (i.e., the origin of the manufacturer and the specification of individual DRAM) to detect and prevent counterfeit DRAM modules. A silicon evaluation shows that the proposed method reliably identifies off-the-shelf DRAM modules from three major manufacturers.