Host Driver Mediates PUF Data Security at External Memory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implementing a Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) at an external memory device poses challenges such as command interception and spoofing, as well as the vulnerability of sensitive data during transmission, due to the external execution of the PUF utility and lack of access to local host device memory.
Innovation Solution
A local driver is executed at the host device to receive and modify commands for the PUF utility at the external memory device, ensuring secure communication by digitally signing and encrypting parameters, and mapping output data back to the host device memory using pointers, thereby establishing a security boundary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If PUF utility is executed at external memory device, then PUF functionality is provided, but security is compromised due to command interception and spoofing vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
A driver is introduced as an intermediary component that executes at the host device and mediates all communications with the PUF utility at the external memory device. The driver digitally signs commands before transmission and verifies replies, preventing command interception and spoofing while maintaining PUF functionality through secure mediated communication.
2Ease of operation
If output pointer is included in command to external memory device, then data access is enabled, but security boundary is violated and sensitive data exposure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The output pointer parameter is extracted and removed from commands transmitted to the external memory device. Instead, the driver receives replies with PUF data and writes the data to the appropriate memory location using the output pointer locally at the host device, maintaining security boundary while enabling data access.
Solution Approach 2:
The driver acts as an intermediary that handles memory address mapping locally. It receives output pointers from the application, removes them from transmitted commands, and uses them locally to write received PUF data to the correct memory location, preventing sensitive data exposure while maintaining ease of operation.
3Reliability
If cryptographic operations are performed at host device, then security is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The host device is empowered to perform cryptographic operations itself through the driver that executes at the host. The driver digitally signs commands and verifies replies using cryptographic keys stored at the host device, enhancing security while keeping the cryptographic functionality self-contained at the host rather than requiring external cryptographic hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
Various examples are directed to systems and methods for providing a digital fingerprint of a selected portion of a memory device to a host device. A host device executing at a host device may send a to a driver a command to produce digital fingerprint data. The command may include an output pointer indicating a memory location of the local memory. The driver may generate a modified command that does not include the output pointer. The driver may send the modified command to a memory device. The driver may receive a reply comprising the digital fingerprint data and write the digital fingerprint data to a location at the memory location of local memory of the host device indicated by the output pointer.