Invisible Smoke: Analyzing and Enhancing the Security of Smoke Detectors Under Intentional Electromagnetic...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• Smoke detectors are critical components of fire protection systems, ensuring timely alarms and response.
• The security and reliability of smoke detectors are paramount for public safety and infrastructure protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the susceptibility of commercial smoke detectors to intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI).
• To demonstrate the feasibility of inducing false alarms or suppressing existing alarms in smoke detectors using IEMI.
• To propose effective countermeasures against IEMI attacks on smoke detection devices.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of commercial smoke detectors and other gas sensors against IEMI.
• Testing attack distances and power levels required for successful manipulation.
• Analysis of detector circuitry for vulnerabilities to electromagnetic coupling.

Main Results:

• Vulnerabilities were identified in button and amplification circuits of commercial smoke detectors, despite EMC testing.
• Successful manipulation of nine gas sensors and seven commercial smoke detectors was achieved from over 3 meters with 50W power.
• Similar IEMI-induced effects were observed in alcohol, toxic gas, and air-quality detectors.

Conclusions:

• Commercial smoke detectors exhibit security vulnerabilities to IEMI attacks, posing a significant risk to fire safety.
• Existing Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing may not fully address these specific manipulation threats.
• Hardware and software-based countermeasures are necessary to enhance the resilience of smoke detectors against IEMI.