Pre-Boot BIOS Variable Copying for Secure OS Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Challenges exist in accessing Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) data from within an operating system (OS) of an information handling system, particularly due to limitations in existing methods that compromise security and compatibility across different BIOS implementations.
Innovation Solution
An OS bootloader agent allocates memory during the pre-boot environment to copy BIOS variables into a separate memory space, making them accessible to the OS during runtime, ensuring security by maintaining the original variables unchanged.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If BIOS variables are directly accessed from the operating system, then the OS can monitor BIOS settings and detect unwanted changes, but security is compromised and compatibility across different BIOS implementations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of BIOS variables in a separate memory space that the operating system can access. The OS bootloader agent allocates memory during pre-boot and copies BIOS variable data into this allocated space, allowing the OS to read monitoring data without directly accessing or modifying the original BIOS variables, thus maintaining security while enabling monitoring functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary memory space and bootloader agent that mediates between the BIOS and the operating system. This intermediary layer allows the OS to access BIOS settings information without direct access to the BIOS firmware itself, providing a secure interface that maintains compatibility across different BIOS implementations while enabling the desired monitoring capability
2Adaptability or versatility
If BIOS variables are copied to a separate memory space, then secure access is maintained and OS compatibility is improved, but additional memory allocation and data copying overhead is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs memory allocation and BIOS variable copying during the pre-boot environment before the operating system fully loads. By completing these preparatory actions beforehand, the actual OS runtime operations are simplified to just reading from the already-prepared memory space, reducing the complexity burden during critical OS operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent copies only the necessary BIOS variable data to a simplified data structure in allocated memory, creating a lightweight representation that the OS can efficiently access. This copying approach balances the need for secure access with minimal overhead by selecting and copying only relevant variables rather than entire BIOS images
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system may include at least one processor and a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions thereon that are executable by the at least one processor for: during a pre-boot environment of the information handling system: allocating a portion of memory of the information handling system; and copying data from at least one variable of the pre-boot environment into the allocated portion of memory; and during runtime of an operating system of the information handling system: accessing the allocated portion of memory to read the at least one variable.