Cyber-Physical Security of Vehicles: Zero Dynamics Attacks Against Vehicle's Lateral Dynamics

TL;DR

The potential for zero dynamics attacks on the vehicle's lateral dynamics, where the attacker can remain undetected by leaving no trace on the system's outputs, is explored and recommendations for securing vehicles' lateral dynamics against such attacks are provided.

Abstract

Modern vehicles have evolved from mechanical systems to complex and connected ones controlled by numerous digital computers interconnected through internal networks. While this development has improved their efficiency and safety, it also brings new potential risks, particularly cyber-attacks. Several studies have explored the security of vehicle dynamics against such threats. Among these dynamics, the vehicle's lateral dynamics are crucial for maintaining stability and control during turns and maneuvers, making them a key focus of research. However, only a few recent studies have specifically investigated the security of lateral dynamics. This paper explores the potential for zero dynamics attacks on the vehicle's lateral dynamics, where the attacker can remain undetected by leaving no trace on the system's outputs. Three scenarios are studied: when the output includes yaw rate, lateral acceleration, and their combination. These two critical measurements of a vehicle's lateral motion are accessible through the inertial measurement units (IMU) in every vehicle. For each scenario, the impact of zero dynamics attacks on system performance is analyzed and illustrated through simulations. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for securing vehicles' lateral dynamics against such attacks.

Figures (6)

• Figure 1: Plan view of vehicle dynamics model.
• Figure 2: System behavior under zero dynamics attacks for three cases: when the output is the yaw rate (the state lies on the green dashed line), when the output is the lateral acceleration with a stable invariant zero (the state lies on the blue closed-dots line), and when the output is the lateral acceleration with an unstable invariant zero (the state lies on the red dotted line).
• Figure 3: Lateral velocity $v_y$ and yaw rate $r$ when the zero dynamics attacks aim to maintain $r$ equal to zero.
• Figure 4: Lateral velocity $v_y$ and yaw rate $r$ when the zero dynamics attacks aim to perform undetectable attacks i.e. the output is identical to the one of an attack-free case, while the lateral velocities have different trajectories.
• Figure 5: Lateral velocity $v_y$, yaw rate $r$, and lateral acceleration $a_y$ when the zero dynamics attacks aim to maintain $a_y$ equal to zero, in the case of stable invariant zero.

Theorems & Definitions (3)

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