Technical note from Macronix about built-in and hardware security strategies on their flash memories. Link here (PDF)
Attacks on a system typically alter or copy the content of the Flash image for three primary reasons, which are to:
- operate the system in an unauthorized manner with the purpose of committing fraud against the user or service provider.
- disrupt the functionality of many systems through a denial of service.
- reverse-engineer the system in order to clone its data/code or to exploit its security weaknesses.
To achieve the above goals, both hardware and software skills are needed. The attack may come from direct tampering of a single system or from software spread through viruses in connected devices. The systems that more frequently have to deal with security are those connected to payment/billing services such as Set-Top Box, mobile devices (such as smart phones) and metering devices.