From Weapon to Target: Quantum Computers Paradox

Everyone's focused on the power of quantum computers to shatter classical encryption. But in the race to harness this revolutionary technology, a crucial question remains unanswered: how secure are the quantum machines themselves? We've been so fixated on what these machines can break, we've neglected to ask how secure they are - creating a potential chink in the armor of the quantum future. This presentation delves deep into the untapped attack surface of quantum computers. We'll examine popular quantum platforms like IBM and IonQ, and the quantum software development kits users rely on, like Qiskit. We will also demonstrate how to abuse weaknesses in the quantum software stack. We'll showcase how attackers can steal authentication tokens, essentially impersonating users, and even inject malicious code into their programs. This can lead to the theft of valuable user credits and the sabotage of intended results. But the vulnerabilities extend beyond software. We'll unveil proof-of-concept attacks that manipulate the way quantum processing units (QPUs) reset their qubits. This allows attackers to steal results from previous computations before the reset, or even tamper with ongoing calculations. We'll even explore how crosstalk – the unintended influence between qubits – can be exploited to inject faults into circuits run by other users on the same QPU. Quantum computing holds immense potential, but so does the responsibility to secure it. By understanding and addressing these vulnerabilities today, we can build a more secure quantum ecosystem. By: Adrian Coleșa | Senior Security Researcher, Bitdefender Sorin Boloș | Quantum Software Engineer, Transilvania Quantum Full Abstract and Presentation Materials Available: https://ift.tt/lfs5yG3

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11W7ooklX7I