Generating thread sensors for extracting side channel information from multithreading processors

A system comprising:

• a computer device that implements a thread sensor generator, configured to:
• create a plurality of sensors for extracting side channel information from a central processing unit (CPU) that executes multiple threads in parallel;
• for each of the sensors:
• execute the sensor in a sensor thread on the CPU, in parallel with a victim thread,
• measure an execution slowdown of the sensor thread caused by CPU resource conflicts between the sensor thread and the victim thread, and
• determine, based on the execution slowdown, a sensitivity metric of the sensor for the victim thread;
• select one of the sensors to use to extract side channel information from the CPU based on the sensitivity metrics of the sensors, wherein
• the selected sensor is selected based on a difference between the execution slowdown caused by the victim thread of a first type and a second execution slowdown caused by another victim thread of a second type;
• and
• distinguish between the first and second types of victim threads on the CPU based on side channel information extracted from the CPU using the selected sensor.

A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions that when executed on or across one or more processors implement a thread sensor generator and cause the thread sensor generator to:

• create a plurality of sensors for extracting side channel information from a central processing unit (CPU) that executes multiple threads in parallel;
• for each of the sensors:
• execute the sensor in a sensor thread on the CPU, in parallel with a victim thread,
• measure an execution slowdown of the sensor thread caused by CPU resource conflicts between the sensor thread and the victim thread, and
• determine, based on the execution slowdown, a sensitivity metric of the sensor for the victim thread;
• select one of the sensors to use to extract side channel information from the CPU based on the sensitivity metrics of the sensors, wherein
• the selected sensor is selected based on a difference between the execution slowdown caused by the victim thread of a first type and a second execution slowdown caused by another victim thread of a second type;
• and
• distinguish between the first and second types of victim threads on the CPU based on side channel information extracted from the CPU using the selected sensor.