Secure Volatile Memory Retrieval After Device Malfunction
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Solution Overview
Problem
During device malfunctions, such as hard hangs, diagnostic information in volatile memory is often lost due to rebooting, making it difficult to determine the cause of the issue as software debugging functionality cannot access the memory content.
Innovation Solution
A warm reset is performed to retain memory content in volatile memory, which is then encrypted and stored securely, allowing for retrieval of malfunction information after a second reboot, enabling diagnostic analysis without losing valuable data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard reboot is performed to restart the device after malfunction, then the device becomes responsive again, but the volatile memory is flushed and diagnostic information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a warm reset before a full reboot to preserve volatile memory content. This preliminary action allows diagnostic information to be retained in memory while still restarting the device, enabling subsequent access to memory content for debugging purposes without losing critical diagnostic data
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the volatile memory content and stores it in non-volatile storage. This copying mechanism ensures that even if the volatile memory is flushed during reboot, a preserved copy of the diagnostic information remains available for analysis, effectively resolving the information loss problem
2Loss of information
If volatile memory is retained during reboot to preserve diagnostic information, then diagnostic data is available, but security risks increase from unauthorized access to memory content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (trusted execution environment or secure module) that mediates access to the volatile memory content. This intermediary encrypts the memory content and controls decryption, allowing diagnostic information to be preserved and accessed while preventing unauthorized access, thus resolving the security vulnerability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of memory content from plaintext to encrypted form, and controls the decryption parameter based on authentication. By transforming the memory content parameters and controlling access conditions, the system preserves diagnostic information while eliminating security risks from unauthorized access
3Loss of information
If software debugging functionality is used to access memory content during malfunction, then diagnostic information can be obtained, but the device must remain responsive which is not possible during hard hang
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a warm reset as a preliminary action before the device fully reboots. This warm reset preserves the volatile memory content while restarting the device, creating a state where memory can be accessed for debugging even after the device has cycled through a reboot, effectively allowing diagnostic access despite the initial loss of responsiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the volatile memory content and stores it in a location accessible after reboot. This copying allows diagnostic information to be obtained even when the original volatile memory is flushed, enabling debugging functionality to access memory content without requiring the device to remain responsive during the hard hang
Data Source
AI summary
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for securely obtaining memory content after a device malfunction. For example, applications, components, and/or an operating system of a device may maintain information within volatile memory in a secure manner (e.g., using encryption). When the device malfunctions, such information may be useful for diagnosing what caused the malfunction. Accordingly, memory content within volatile memory may be securely retrieved, encrypted, and/or stored before such memory content is flushed/removed from volatile memory. For example, a warm reset is performed to initially reboot the device without removing memory content from volatile memory. The memory content may be retrieved and encrypted to create encrypted memory content that may be stored within nonvolatile memory for later access. After a second reboot, device malfunction information may be obtained by decrypting the encrypted memory content using a private key matching a public key used to encrypt the memory content.