journal article · international journal of research in computing · 2026

ShieldLink: Retry-Aware Authenticated Encryption for Secure and Reliable Chiplet Interconnects

abstract

Chiplet die-to-die links such as UCIe/CXL handle reliability with link-layer retries while confidentiality lives in higher-layer authenticated encryption. Composed naively, the receiver can acknowledge a frame on a fast CRC check before the slower AEAD verification finishes — a time-of-check/time-of-use window that can desynchronize state or enable denial-of-service. ShieldLink enforces one deliverability invariant: the receive window only advances on successful AEAD verification of exactly the bits that will be delivered.

@article{nguyen2026shieldlink,
  author = {Nguyen, Michel},
  title = {ShieldLink: Retry-Aware Authenticated Encryption for Secure and Reliable Chiplet Interconnects},
  year = {2026},
  journal = {International Journal of Research in Computing},
  doi = {10.64701/ijrc/345/9121},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.64701/ijrc/345/9121}
}