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Golden-Reference Model Fuzzing

Technique WIKI v1 · 7/4/2026

Golden-reference model fuzzing is a hardware security testing technique that decouples test refinement from vulnerability exploration by leveraging a fast golden-reference model of the target device. It enables efficient, semantically aware hardware fuzzing that achieves high coverage and uncovers new vulnerabilities, demonstrated on RISC-V processors via the GoldenFuzz framework.

Golden-Reference Model Fuzzing

Overview

Golden-reference model fuzzing is a technique in hardware security testing that employs a two-stage fuzzing strategy. The approach decouples test refinement from vulnerability exploration by using a fast golden-reference model of the device under test. This separation enables efficient and semantically aware hardware fuzzing, achieving high coverage and discovering new high-severity vulnerabilities on target processors.

How It Works

The technique operates in two stages:

  1. Test refinement — A fast golden-reference model of the device is used to rapidly iterate and refine test inputs, providing quick feedback on behavioral correctness.
  2. Vulnerability exploration — Refined tests are then applied against the real (or more detailed) implementation to uncover subtle bugs and security vulnerabilities.

By decoupling these phases, golden-reference model fuzzing avoids the cost of running expensive target evaluations during every mutation while still maintaining semantic awareness of the device's expected behavior.

Demonstrated Application

Golden-reference model fuzzing was demonstrated on RISC-V processors as part of the GoldenFuzz framework, where it achieved:

  • High coverage of processor behavior
  • Discovery of new high-severity vulnerabilities

Context

The technique was presented at NDSS 2026 in the "Fuzzing – Shake the Silicon" session, alongside related hardware-fuzzing research such as ReFuzz (processor fuzzing via contextual bandits reusing historic tests) and Fuzzilicon (post-silicon microcode-guided x86 CPU fuzzing).

Related Implementations and Publications

  • GoldenFuzz (Tool) — implements golden-reference model fuzzing.
  • GoldenFuzz: Generative Golden Reference Hardware Fuzzing (Paper) — introduces and uses the technique.

LINKED ENTITIES

2 links
GoldenFuzz IMPLEMENTS
GoldenFuzz: Generative Golden Reference Hardware Fuzzing USES

CITATIONS

3 sources
3 citations
[1] Golden-reference model fuzzing introduces a two-stage strategy that decouples test refinement from vulnerability exploration using a fast golden-reference model of the device. NDSS 2026 Hardware Security Research Announcement (LinkedIn post by Ahmad-Reza Sadeghi)
[2] GoldenFuzz enables efficient and semantically aware hardware fuzzing that achieves high coverage and discovers new high-severity vulnerabilities across RISC-V processors. NDSS 2026 Hardware Security Research Announcement (LinkedIn post by Ahmad-Reza Sadeghi)
[3] The GoldenFuzz paper is authored by Lichao Wu, Mohamadreza Rostami, Huimin Li, Nikhilesh Singh, and Ahmad-Reza Sadeghi. NDSS 2026 Hardware Security Research Announcement (LinkedIn post by Ahmad-Reza Sadeghi)