Information Processing Apparatus with Cross-Controller Firmware Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information processing apparatus activation methods require lengthy recovery operations when secure booting fails due to firmware falsification detection, necessitating apparatus replacement or special jig usage.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with multiple controllers, each equipped with processors, storage apparatuses, and processing circuits, verifies software images using e-signatures and public keys, allowing acquisition of non-falsified images from another controller for activation when local verification fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secure booting verification is performed on the local controller, then security of the software image is ensured, but recovery time becomes excessively long when verification fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a backup copy of the verified software image and signature data in a second storage apparatus. When the primary software image fails verification, the system can immediately restore from the copied backup without requiring external intervention, thus maintaining security while dramatically reducing recovery time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of software images during normal operation and stores verified copies in advance. This preliminary action ensures that when verification fails during activation, the system already has pre-verified backup images ready for immediate restoration, eliminating the need for time-consuming recovery procedures.
2Reliability
If one controller writes firmware to another controller for verification, then security verification is achieved, but system complexity increases due to required access configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the verification capability within the same controller by storing both the software image and the corresponding signature verification data in local storage apparatuses. This eliminates the need for inter-controller access configurations while maintaining security verification, thereby reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each controller is designed with universal functionality to store and verify its own software images using locally stored signatures and public keys. This self-contained multi-functionality eliminates dependency on other controllers for verification operations, simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
It is made possible to activate an information processing apparatus easily and appropriately when verification of a software image at the time of activation of the information processing apparatus is unsuccessful. Provided is an information processing apparatus including controllers each of which includes a CPU, an FPGA, and SPI ROMs, and configured such that one SPI ROM stores an SPI ROM image, another SPI ROM stores an e-signature and public key, and each of FPGAs of the respective controllers acquires the e-signature and public key at the time of activation of the information processing apparatus and verifies whether or not the SPI ROM image is falsified, and the FPGA of the controller, which detects presence of falsification, acquires an SPI ROM image via the FPGA of the controller having a software image that is detected as being not falsified, and causes an operation by the CPU to be started.