cold boot attacks

A form of cold boot attack — A type of sidechannel attack in which somebody with physical access to a computer is able to retrieve encryption keys from a running operating system after a reboot. It relies on the fact that the contents of memory can still be read for a short period after power is cut off.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of cold boot attack
Cite this entry
APA

cold boot attacks. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cold%20boot%20attacks

MLA

“cold boot attacks.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cold%20boot%20attacks. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cold boot attacks,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cold%20boot%20attacks.

Source: cold boot attacks on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.