loading page

Peak-Controlled Logits Poisoning Attack in Federated Distillation
  • +4
  • Yuhan Tang,
  • Aoxu Zhang,
  • Zhiyuan Wu,
  • Bo Gao,
  • Tian Wen,
  • Yuwei Wang,
  • Sheng Sun
Yuhan Tang
Beijing Jiaotong University
Author Profile
Aoxu Zhang
Beijing Jiaotong University
Author Profile
Zhiyuan Wu
Institute of Computing Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences
Author Profile
Bo Gao
Beijing Jiaotong University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Tian Wen
Institute of Computing Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences
Author Profile
Yuwei Wang
Institute of Computing Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences
Author Profile
Sheng Sun
Institute of Computing Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences
Author Profile

Abstract

Federated Distillation (FD) offers an innovative approach to distributed machine learning, leveraging knowledge distillation for efficient and flexible cross-device knowledge transfer without necessitating the upload of extensive model parameters to a central server. While FD has gained popularity, its vulnerability to poisoning attacks remains underexplored. To address this gap, we previously introduced FDLA (Federated Distillation Logits Attack), a method that manipulates logits communication to mislead and degrade the performance of client models. However, the impact of FDLA on participants with different identities and the effects of malicious modifications at various stages of knowledge transfer remain unexplored. To this end, we present PCFDLA (Peak-Controlled Federated Distillation Logits Attack), an advanced and more stealthy logits poisoning attack method for FD. PCFDLA enhances the effectiveness of FDLA by carefully controlling the peak values of logits to create highly misleading yet inconspicuous modifications. Furthermore, we introduce a novel metric for better evaluating attack efficacy, demonstrating that PCFDLA maintains stealth while being significantly more disruptive to victim models compared to its predecessors. Experimental results across various datasets confirm the superior impact of PCFDLA on model accuracy, solidifying its potential threat in federated distillation systems.