Remote Attestation for Modular Devices with Multiple Cryptoprocessors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to provide persistent security validation for modular networking devices with multiple cryptoprocessors, as existing solutions do not effectively verify all cryptoprocessors across the device's lifetime, especially when modules are replaced.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for creating a signed attestation bundle using an attestation key that is not tied to specific hardware, allowing for the verification of all constituent devices within a supervising device, which generates a signed dossier in a secure enclave for remote attestation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If modular devices use multiple cryptoprocessors in replaceable modules, then device functionality and flexibility are improved, but security validation becomes more complex and cannot persist across module replacements
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments security validation into two parts: module-specific cryptoprocessor validation and supervisor device-level attestation. The supervisor device collects and aggregates attestation information from multiple modules, creating a consolidated security profile that persists independently of individual module presence.
Solution Approach 2:
The supervisor device's attestation mechanism serves multiple functions: it validates individual module cryptoprocessors, aggregates their security states, and maintains persistent device-level attestation that works regardless of which specific modules are installed. This universal mechanism handles both module-specific and device-wide security requirements.
2Ease of operation
If validation is tied to specific hardware cryptoprocessors, then security verification is simplified, but validation cannot persist when modules are replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The supervisor device acts as an intermediary between module cryptoprocessors and external validators. It collects attestation information from various modules, aggregates their security states, and presents a unified device-level attestation. This mediator approach maintains simple hardware-level validation while creating persistent device-wide security validation that survives module replacements.
3Reliability
If all cryptoprocessors are validated individually, then security coverage is improved, but validation complexity and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges individual module attestation results into a single device-level attestation bundle. The supervisor device collects security measurements from multiple cryptoprocessors across different modules, combines them into aggregated attestation information, and presents it as a unified validation package. This maintains comprehensive security coverage while simplifying the validation process through consolidation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present technology discloses systems, methods, and computer-readable media for requesting at least one signed security measurement from at least one module with a corresponding cryptoprocessor, the at least one module existing within a device; receiving the at least one signed security measurement from the at least one module with the corresponding cryptoprocessor; validating the at least one signed security measurement; generating a signed dossier including all validated signed security measurements in a secure enclave, the signed dossier being used by an external network device for remote attestation of the device.