On Physical-Layer Identification of Wireless Devices

Physical-layer device identification aims at identifying wireless devices during radio communication by exploiting unique characteristics of their analog (radio) circuitry. This work systematizes the existing knowledge on this topic in order to enable a better understanding of device identification, its implications on the analysis and design of security solutions in wireless networks and possible applications. We therefore present a systematic review of physical-layer identification systems and provide a summary of current state-of-the-art techniques. We further present a classification of attacks and discuss the feasibility, limitations, and implications in selected applications. We also highlight issues that are still open and need to be addressed in future work.