Randomized Bootloader Image Authentication for Faster Vehicle Startup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secure boot processes in automotive embedded systems cause delays and inefficiencies due to intensive computations for authenticating boot software, leading to delayed responses in vehicle systems.
Innovation Solution
A bootloader authentication system using asymmetric cryptography with a public key and a private key, combined with a true random number generator, to authenticate boot software quickly and securely, minimizing delays by verifying a single signature block instead of the entire software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If intensive computation is performed to verify the authenticity of boot software, then security is improved, but boot time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the boot software into multiple blocks and verifies only a selected subset of blocks (e.g., first block, second block, third block) rather than the entire software image. This segmentation approach reduces the computation time required for authentication while maintaining security by verifying critical portions of the boot software.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs partial verification by checking only specific blocks of the boot software image rather than all blocks. The system verifies a partial set of blocks that are sufficient to ensure authenticity while avoiding the excessive computation that would require verifying the entire image, thus balancing security with boot time efficiency.
2Reliability
If the entire boot software is verified, then authentication thoroughness is improved, but system responsiveness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The boot software is segmented into multiple blocks, and the system verifies only a selected subset of these blocks during the authentication process. This segmentation enables thorough verification of critical components while avoiding the time-consuming verification of all blocks, thereby improving system responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial authentication by verifying only the necessary blocks of boot software rather than the entire image. This partial action approach ensures adequate authentication thoroughness for security while significantly improving system responsiveness by reducing the verification scope.
3Reliability
If secure boot process is performed, then boot software authentication is improved, but access to vehicle systems is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication process is segmented to verify only specific blocks of boot software rather than the entire image. This selective verification maintains strong authentication for critical components while reducing the overall authentication time and complexity, thereby improving ease of access to vehicle systems after authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial authentication verification rather than complete verification of all boot software blocks. This partial action approach ensures adequate authentication for security while minimizing the time and complexity barriers to accessing vehicle systems, thus improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A bootloader authentication system with a multimedia device to mount within a vehicle, a memory device, and a processor. The memory device stores data indicative of a public key associated with the vehicle and a signed hash bootloader image indicative of a signature of a private key. The processor is in communication with the memory device and is programmed to: generate a signature verification block based on a combination of a random number and the signed hash bootloader image; compare the signature verification block to the public key to verify the signature of the private key; authenticate a bootloader in response to verifying the signature of the private key; and activate the multimedia device in response to bootloader authentication