Secure Identity Chaining for Trusted Computing Base Boot Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secure booting mechanisms for computing devices fail to effectively validate the integrity of software/firmware components before they are loaded during the boot process, leading to potential compromise and delayed detection of tampered components.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a secure memory system that uses cryptographic techniques to validate the integrity of each component by comparing computed digests with stored values, generating compound device identifiers, and employing a security manager to control access and ensure the integrity of components before they are loaded, utilizing a unique device secret and cryptographic keys for authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing secure booting mechanisms are used, then the boot process can proceed, but the integrity of software components cannot be validated before loading, allowing tampered components to be executed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary validation of software component integrity by computing and comparing cryptographic digests before loading components during the boot process. The security manager calculates a digest of the loaded component and compares it against a stored reference digest, preventing execution of tampered components before they can cause harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a security manager as an intermediary component that mediates between the boot process and software components. This security manager performs cryptographic validation, manages component digests, and controls the loading process, providing a centralized security function that maintains reliability without requiring complex modifications throughout the entire system.
2Reliability
If component validation is performed during boot process, then tampered components can be detected early, but the boot process time increases due to additional validation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs digest computation and comparison as preliminary actions during the boot process, before components are fully loaded or executed. By validating component integrity early in the boot sequence, the system detects tampered components promptly without requiring lengthy post-boot validation procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or manual verification methods with cryptographic digest computation and comparison. This substitution enables rapid, automated validation of component integrity using efficient hash functions, reducing the time penalty compared to more cumbersome validation approaches.
3Reliability
If cryptographic validation is implemented for each component, then security is enhanced, but the computational overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs cryptographic hash functions to validate component integrity, replacing more computationally intensive verification methods. Hash functions provide efficient one-way transformation of component data into fixed-size digests that can be quickly compared, minimizing computational energy requirements while maintaining strong security guarantees.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent stores reference digests of valid components in a secure location within the system. During boot validation, the system computes the digest of the loaded component and compares it against this stored copy, avoiding the need to re-verify the entire component against external references and reducing computational overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods to secure identity chaining between software/firmware components of trusted computing base. A memory device includes a secure memory region having access control based on cryptography. The secure memory region stores component information about a second component configured to be executed after a first component during booting. Prior to using a component identity of the second component to generate a compound identifier of the first component, health of the second component to be executed is verified based on the component information stored in the secure memory region.