Secure and Reliable System Research Lab

This lab aims to enhance the security and reliability of systems through novel solutions at the compiler, OS, and communication layers. We target systems that include microcontroller- and microprocessor-based platforms. We explore various types of cybersecurity challenges, including but not limited to control-flow integrity, side-channel attacks, and usability issues.

Dr. Xi Tan is the director of the lab. She is an Assistant Professor int the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS).

We have RA openings starting from Fall 2026. Please check details here.

News

Oct 21, 2025

[Research] Our paper entitled "Microft: Exploring and Mitigating Cross-state Control-flow Hijacking Attacks on ARM Cortex-M TrustZone" has been accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics & Security'25!

Oct 16, 2025

[Research] Laura Mimm joined our lab as a Research Assistant!

Oct 10, 2025

[Service] Join us for the 1st ever UCCS Hacking Training. Xi will lead an informal session where she will train UCCS students on cybersecurity basics.

Aug 20, 2025

[Research] Our paper entitled "'We just did not have that on the embedded system': Insights and Challenges for Securing Microcontroller Systems from the Embedded CTF Competitions" will appear in ACM CCS'25!

Aug 18, 2025

[Research] Himaja Ryali joined our lab as a Research Assistant!

Jul 25, 2025

[Award] Aryan got the EAS O'Neil Award!

Apr 23, 2025

[Research] Xi receives the Committee on Research and Creative Works (CRCW) award. Thanks to co-PI Dr. Fuzhen Yin and the UCCS CRCW committee for their support!

Jan 23, 2025

[Research] Aryan Padiyal joined our lab as a Research Assistant!

Aug 19, 2024

[Job] Xi joined the University of Colorado Colorado Springs as an Assistant Professor!

May 13, 2024

[Paper] New paper entitled "SoK: Where's the “up”?! A Comprehensive (bottom-up) Study on the Security of Arm Cortex-M Systems" will appear in USENIX WOOT '24! Check out the open-source repo [here]!

Dec 12, 2023
Nov 15, 2023

[Paper] New paper entitled "Is the Canary Dead? On the Effectiveness of Stack Canaries on Microcontroller Systems" will appear in SAC'24!

Aug 10, 2023

[Paper] New paper entitled "SHERLOC: Secure and Holistic Control-Flow Violation Detection on Embedded Systems" will appear in CCS'23! Check out the open-source repo [here]!