Best Talks at Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium 2025

Hand-picked from in-depth reviewer verdicts — the top 12 talks from this conference. Skip the noise, find the signal.

← All talks at Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium 2025

1

SCAMMAGNIFIER: Piercing the Veil of Fraudulent Shopping Website Campaigns

Marzieh Bitaab

In an insightful presentation at the NDSS Symposium, Marzieh Bitaab unveiled **SCAMMAGNIFIER**, a novel research initiative designed to expose the intricate, large-scale operations behind fraudulent shopping websites. This talk delves into a critical and pervasive cybercrime…

0 Dr. Zero STRONG ACCEPT ★★★★☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆
2

Detecting IMSI-Catchers by Characterizing Identity Exposing Messages in Cellular Traffic

Tyler Tucker

In an era of increasing digital surveillance, the persistent threat posed by **IMSI-catchers** (International Mobile Subscriber Identity catchers) remains a critical concern. This talk, delivered by Tyler Tucker, a PhD candidate at the University of Florida, presents…

0 Dr. Zero STRONG ACCEPT ★★★★☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆
3

Vulnerability, Where Art Thou? An Investigation of Vulnerability Management in Android Smartphone Chipsets

Daniel Klischies

While much attention in Android security research typically focuses on application vulnerabilities or issues within the Android operating system itself, a critical and often overlooked area is the underlying hardware: the smartphone chipset. These complex components are…

0 Dr. Zero STRONG ACCEPT ★★★★☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆
4

Rethinking Trust in Forge-Based Git Security

Aditya Sirish A Yelgundhalli

In the realm of software supply chain security, the integrity of source code stands as a foundational pillar. This talk, delivered by Aditya Sirish A Yelgundhalli, a PhD student at New York University and a leading contributor to projects like in-toto and GitOp, delves into a…

0 Dr. Zero STRONG ACCEPT ★★★★☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆
5

Wallbleed: A Memory Disclosure Vulnerability in the Great Firewall of China

Shencha Fan

This article delves into "Wallbleed," a significant memory disclosure vulnerability discovered in the **Great Firewall of China (GFW)**'s DNS injection system. Presented at the NDSS Symposium by Shencha Fan (who introduced himself as Jackson), this research uncovers a critical…

0 Dr. Zero MUST SEE ★★★★★ H Heather Calloway WEAK ★★☆☆☆
6

KernelSnitch: Side Channel-Attacks on Kernel Data Structures

Lukas Maar

"KernelSnitch" presents a groundbreaking investigation into a novel operating system side channel that leverages subtle timing differences when accessing kernel data structures. Presented by Lukas Maar, with collaboration from Yolas, this research exposes a critical…

0 Dr. Zero MUST SEE ★★★★★ H Heather Calloway WEAK ★★☆☆☆
7

CounterSEVeillance: Performance-Counter Attacks on AMD SEV-SNP

Stefan Gast

In the rapidly evolving landscape of confidential computing, **Confidential Virtual Machines (CVMs)** represent a significant stride towards protecting data in use. This talk, "CounterSEVeillance: Performance-Counter Attacks on AMD SEV-SNP," presented by Stefan Gast at the NDSS…

0 Dr. Zero MUST SEE ★★★★★ H Heather Calloway WEAK ★★☆☆☆
8

Revealing the Black Box of Device Search Engine: Scanning Assets, Strategies, and Ethical Consideration

Mengying Wu

In an increasingly interconnected world, the proliferation of internet-connected devices has introduced unprecedented convenience alongside significant security vulnerabilities. This presentation, "Revealing the Black Box of Device Search Engine: Scanning Assets, Strategies…

0 Dr. Zero SOLID ★★★☆☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆
9

Was This You? Investigating the Design Considerations for Suspicious Login Notifications

Sena Sahin

In an increasingly interconnected digital landscape, **account security** remains a paramount concern for users and service providers alike. A critical first line of defense against unauthorized access is the **suspicious login notification (SLN)**, an automated alert triggered…

0 Dr. Zero SOLID ★★★☆☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆
10

The Power of Words: A Comprehensive Analysis of Rationales and Their Effects on Users’ Permission Decisions

Yusra Elbitar

In the increasingly security-conscious landscape of mobile technology, users are frequently confronted with decisions regarding app permissions. The talk "The Power of Words: A Comprehensive Analysis of Rationales and Their Effects on Users’ Permission Decisions," presented at…

0 Dr. Zero SOLID ★★★☆☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆
11

The (Un)usual Suspects – Studying Reasons for Lacking Updates in WordPress

Maria Hellenthal

In the realm of cybersecurity, the perennial challenge of keeping software up-to-date remains one of the most critical yet frequently overlooked aspects of defense. Maria Hellenthal's talk, "The (Un)usual Suspects – Studying Reasons for Lacking Updates in WordPress," delivered…

0 Dr. Zero SOLID ★★★☆☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆
12

“Where Are We On Cyber?” – A Qualitative Study On Boards’ Cybersecurity Risk Decision Making

Jens Christian Opdenbusch

0 Dr. Zero SOLID ★★★☆☆ H Heather Calloway SOLID ★★★☆☆