ProcessorFuzz: Guiding Processor Fuzzing using Control and Status Registers
PaperA 2022 paper that introduces ProcessorFuzz, a processor fuzzing approach guided by a CSR-transition coverage metric. The paper presents an HDL-agnostic workflow that uses CSR transitions observed in ISA traces to identify interesting inputs for RTL checking, and reports faster triggering of ground-truth bugs than DIFUZZRTL as well as nine confirmed bugs.
First seen 6/6/2026
Last seen 6/29/2026
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Overview
ProcessorFuzz: Guiding Processor Fuzzing using Control and Status Registers presents ProcessorFuzz, a processor fuzzer that uses a CSR-transition coverage metric to guide exploration of processor states. The paper is motivated by limitations in prior RTL hardware fuzzing, including lack of support for widely used HDLs and misleading coverage signals that can misidentify interesting inputs. [1]
Core idea
NEIGHBORHOOD
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27 connectionsThe work presents ProcessorFuzz as a new processor fuzzing tool.
Canakci is listed among the authors of the paper.
Rajapaksha is listed among the authors of the paper.
Nataraja is listed among the authors of the paper.
Delshadtehrani is listed among the authors of the paper.
Taylor is listed among the authors of the paper.
Egele is listed among the authors of the paper.
Joshi is listed among the authors of the paper.
The paper introduces the CSR-transition coverage metric as a new coverage feedback mechanism.
Along with the tool, the paper proposes a new coverage metric based on CSR transitions.
The authors run experiments assessing ProcessorFuzz on multiple RISC-V cores and a reference model.
Hardware fuzzing is discussed as the broader context for the work.
Processor fuzzing is the focal technique addressed by the proposed tool.
DIFUZZRTL is used as a comparative baseline to assess ProcessorFuzz’s performance.
Reported comparative performance indicates a direct comparison with DIFUZZRTL.
Rocket is named among the processors used in the evaluation.
BOOM is named among the processors used in the evaluation.
BlackParrot is named among the processors used in the evaluation.
All evaluated processors are RISC-V cores, indicating the paper’s experiments target RISC-V.
RTL is discussed as the design level targeted by fuzzing-based verification.
The abstract highlights lack of support for widely-used HDLs in prior work.
CSRs are central to the paper’s approach for guiding the fuzzer.
The work critiques prior coverage signals and proposes an alternative metric.
The authors are identified as researchers from Boston University.
The authors are identified as researchers from the University of Washington.
The paper is primarily published by researchers from Boston University.
CSRs are central to the proposed coverage metric and guidance mechanism.
LINKED ENTITIES
7 linksProcessorFuzz INTRODUCES Extracted graph relationship
CSR-transition coverage metric INTRODUCES Extracted graph relationship
DiFuzzRTL EVALUATES Extracted graph relationship
hardware fuzzing MENTIONS Extracted graph relationship
Processor Fuzzing MENTIONS Extracted graph relationship
CSRs MENTIONS Extracted graph relationship
Coverage signals MENTIONS Extracted graph relationship
CITATIONS
5 sources5 citations — click to expand
[1] [1] Prior RTL hardware fuzzing has limitations including lack of support for widely used HDLs and misleading coverage signals. ProcessorFuzz: Guiding Processor Fuzzing using Control and Status Registers | DeepAI
[2] [2] ProcessorFuzz introduces a CSR-transition coverage metric; CSR transitions are used as indicators of new processor states; the approach is HDL-agnostic and does not require instrumentation in the processor design. ProcessorFuzz: Guiding Processor Fuzzing using Control and Status Registers | DeepAI
[3] [3] Design flow: ISA simulation produces an extended ISA trace log with CSR values, a transition unit extracts and records new CSR transitions via a transition map, only interesting inputs proceed to RTL simulation, and ISA/RTL mismatches indicate potential bugs. [PDF] Guiding Processor Fuzzing using Control and Status Registers - arXiv
[4] [4] Evaluation uses Rocket, BOOM, and BlackParrot; ProcessorFuzz triggers ground-truth bugs 1.23× faster on average than DIFUZZRTL; experiments found 8 new bugs in the three RISC-V cores and 1 in a reference model, all confirmed by developers. ProcessorFuzz: Guiding Processor Fuzzing using Control and Status Registers | DeepAI
[5] [5] The paper was published in September 2022 on arXiv, and the listed authors are Sadullah Canakci, Chathura Rajapaksha, Anoop Mysore Nataraja, Leila Delshadtehrani, Michael Taylor, Manuel Egele, and Ajay Joshi. New Processor Fuzzing Mechanism