Hardware Attestation via PUF Fingerprinting for Secure Boot
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing measured and trusted boot solutions fail to provide comprehensive assurance regarding the integrity and authenticity of hardware components, particularly in detecting malicious hardware module replacements.
Innovation Solution
The integration of unique Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) responses for each hardware module, combined with software and firmware measurements, is used to create a secure measured boot process. This ensures that each hardware module has a distinct, unclonable fingerprint, making it difficult for attackers to replace components without detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional measured boot solutions are used to verify software integrity, then software authentication is achieved, but hardware component authenticity cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the boot verification process into separate hardware and software components. Hardware modules are individually measured and authenticated through unique PUF responses, while software components are verified through traditional measured boot techniques. This segmentation allows independent verification of hardware authenticity without compromising software verification capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
PUF (Physically Unclonable Function) responses serve as an intermediary mechanism between hardware components and the attestation system. The PUF responses provide a unique, unclonable fingerprint for each hardware module, enabling the system to detect hardware replacements while maintaining compatibility with existing software verification processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If hardware modules are replaced to improve system performance or availability, then system flexibility increases, but security against malicious replacement is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement and recording of PUF responses from hardware modules during the boot process, before any potential malicious replacement can occur. These measurements are stored and used as reference values for future attestation, enabling the system to detect any unauthorized hardware changes while still allowing legitimate hardware replacements through proper re-registration procedures.
3Reliability
If comprehensive hardware and software measurement is implemented, then system integrity is enhanced, but boot process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges hardware PUF-based attestation with traditional software measured boot processes into a unified verification framework. Both hardware and software measurements are collected, combined, and stored together in the attestation database, allowing comprehensive integrity verification without requiring separate independent processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A device comprises a plurality of hardware, HW, modules including a first HW module comprising a Physically Un-clonable Function, PUF, the first HW module or the plurality of HW modules being communicated with a requester. The device receives (1006), from the requester, a request to transmit an output to the requester. It activates (1008) the PUF, reads a response from the PUF, and adds the response to an output. The device transmits (1012) the output to the requester, and it receives (1002) one or more of a firmware, FW, component, a software, SW, component, or a bitstream, BS, component before receiving (1006) the request from the requester.