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AMBER: Robust Federated Learning Based on Client Verification

delete2026-06-26
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OA
AI
X
Xiaohu Shan
于海阳 (Haiyang Yu)
G
Gang Wang
陈渝文 cover
陈渝文 (Yuwen Chen)
杨震 cover
杨震 (Zhen Yang)
DOI:10.1109/tifs.2026.3707790delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Federated Learning (FL) preserves data privacy by avoiding direct access to local data, but this limits server verification of client model updates. Unreliable participants can inject malformed updates to poison the global model without detection. In this paper, we analyze client-side vulnerabilities in three chained stages of local training: local dataset pollution, model selective inputs, and training process tampering. We refer to this class of threats as Local Chained Attacks (LCAs), which severely degrade global model robustness. To address these challenges, we propose AMBER, a robust FL framework with a novel three-layer verification mechanism for client trust assessment. The first layer ensures dataset integrity via vector commitments for content and distribution of client-held data. The second layer detects selective input attacks through a local consistency-based verification mechanism. The third layer enforces computational integrity by verifying the correlation between model inputs and outputs using secure primitives in a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). AMBER establishes verifiable integrity links across data, input, and computation stages under an explicit trust boundary. Experimental evaluations covering multiple datasets, models, and attack scenarios show AMBER outperforms existing approaches in defense effectiveness with low overhead, adapting well to Non-IID environments.
Keywords:
Federated learning
secure aggregation
local chained attacks
trusted execution environment

Journal

IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security cover
IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security
IF:
8
Papers:
5.2K
Citations:
2.3W

Organization

T
travelsky technology ltd.
Scholars:
2
Papers: 2
Citations: 0
B
beijing university of technology
Scholars:
5.7K
Papers: 1.9K
Citations: 0