Trusted Component Update System Integrity Verification

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Computer manufacturers face the challenge of updating trusted components like BIOS flash memory to fix bugs or add new capabilities while ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the updates, as enabling modifications makes the components susceptible to corruption by malicious or unauthorized logic.

Innovation Solution

A trusted component update system that verifies proposed updates through cryptographic methods, ensuring they come from a trusted source and have not been tampered with, by using hash logic and signature verification to maintain the trust and integrity of the firmware memory, extending the chain of trust from the firmware memory to external verification logic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the BIOS flash memory or other trusted component is enabled to be modified, then the component can be updated to fix bugs and provide new capabilities, but the trusted component becomes susceptible to corruption by malicious or unauthorized logic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveupdate capabilityVSAvoidintegrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of the update image's digital signature before allowing the update to proceed. The trusted component calculates a hash of the update image and compares it against the expected hash value embedded in the signature, ensuring the update is authentic and untampered with before application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a digital signature mechanism as an intermediary between the update source and the trusted component. The signature acts as a mediator that verifies the authenticity and integrity of the update image, allowing modifications to occur while preventing malicious logic from corrupting the trusted component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If cryptographic verification methods are implemented, then the integrity and authenticity of updates are ensured, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveintegrityVSAvoidverification mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The trusted component performs self-verification by internally calculating the hash of the update image and comparing it against the expected hash value from the digital signature. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external verification systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the state of the trusted component from a purely read-only state to a state that can perform verification operations. By enabling the component to calculate hashes and compare signature parameters, the system achieves verification capability without requiring separate complex verification hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9053323B2Trusted component update system and method

Publication Date: 2015.06.09 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A trusted component update system comprises verify logic configured to validate integrity of an update to a trusted component of a computing device, and logic disposed in the trusted component and configured to validate integrity of the verify logic.