System Partition Access Control for Secure Boot Artifacts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing information handling systems face vulnerabilities during the boot process due to unauthorized access or tampering with system partition contents, leading to operational failures and inability to recover from such failures.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system partition protocol that bifurcates function calls to a system partition into separate flows, where read calls are directly processed, while write and delete calls are subject to a policy-based decision by a system partition security driver, which enforces access control through a policy vault maintained by a baseboard management controller.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a system partition is made accessible during boot process, then system boot functionality is enabled, but security vulnerabilities arise from unauthorized access or tampering

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem boot reliabilityVSAvoidunauthorized access to system partition

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the system partition into multiple sub-partitions (first system partition, second system partition, third system partition) with different security attributes and access policies. Each sub-partition can have independent read/write permissions, allowing selective access control during boot process while protecting critical data. This segmentation enables the system to provide necessary access for boot functionality while isolating sensitive areas from unauthorized modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If read access to system partition is allowed during boot, then boot artifacts can be accessed, but write access vulnerabilities remain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to boot artifactsVSAvoidunauthorized write access

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by assigning different security attributes and access permissions to different sub-partitions within the system partition. The first system partition may have read-only access during boot, the second system partition may allow read/write access, and the third system partition may have restricted access. This localized differentiation of access rights enables boot artifacts to be accessed while preventing unauthorized writes to critical areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If system partition security is enhanced with policy-based access control, then security is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem partition securityVSAvoidaccess control mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by establishing access control policies and security attributes before the boot process begins. The system partition is pre-segmented into sub-partitions with defined security attributes, and access policies are configured in advance. During boot, the file system simply enforces these pre-established policies rather than making complex real-time decisions, thereby enhancing security while minimizing the complexity of runtime operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12541611B2System partition security assurance to protect system boot artifacts

Publication Date: 2026.02.03 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

An information handling system includes a memory device having a system partition, and a BIOS. The BIOS instantiates a file system during a boot phase of operation of the information handling system. The file system detects function calls to access the system partition and applies a policy to determine whether to grant the function calls access to the system partition.