UFS Storage Device Firmware Integrity via UDS Endorsements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage devices face security incidents due to pre-installed device secret (PDS) leakage and side-channel attacks, particularly in devices where asymmetric encryption techniques are difficult to use, leading to increased resource consumption and reduced data security.
Innovation Solution
A storage device and method that includes a memory group for storing unique device secret (UDS) and PDS data, with a processor performing integrity checks on firmware images using PDS and UDS data to generate endorsements, enhancing security by reducing resource consumption and improving data protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If asymmetric encryption techniques are used to enhance security, then data security is improved, but resource consumption increases and implementation becomes difficult in storage devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the security verification function from complex asymmetric encryption and implements it using simpler symmetric encryption algorithms. The endorsement mechanism separates the security-critical key storage (in secure hardware) from the verification process (using lightweight symmetric algorithms), thereby reducing resource consumption while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses disposable or temporary endorsement values that are generated and consumed for each firmware update verification. These endorsements are single-use cryptographic tokens that do not require long-term storage or complex key management, reducing both resource consumption and security risks.
2Reliability
If asymmetric encryption techniques are used to enhance security, then data security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex asymmetric encryption operations from the storage device implementation and replaces them with simpler symmetric encryption algorithms for the endorsement verification process. Only essential security functions are implemented in the device, while relying on the host system for more complex cryptographic operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The endorsement mechanism acts as an intermediary that simplifies the security protocol. Instead of directly implementing complex asymmetric encryption, the system uses endorsement tokens as mediators that carry security information in a simplified format that is easier to verify in storage devices.
3Reliability
If PDS is used for firmware verification, then security is improved, but vulnerability to PDS leakage and side-channel attacks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security mechanism into multiple components: PDS for initial endorsement generation, UDS for device-specific key derivation, and firmware-specific keys for individual firmware verification. This segmentation ensures that compromise of one component does not lead to complete system compromise, as each segment protects a different aspect of security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different security mechanisms to different parts of the firmware verification process. PDS is used for the endorsement generation phase, while UDS and firmware-specific keys are used for the verification phase. This local differentiation of security qualities allows the system to optimize for both security and resistance to specific attack vectors.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are storage devices, methods of operating a storage controller, and universal flash storage (UFS) systems. The storage device includes a memory group configured to store unique device secret (UDS) data including a UDS, and pre-installed device secret (PDS) data including a PDS, and a processor configured to receive a first endorsement generated based on the PDS and a first firmware image, perform a first integrity check for the first firmware image based on the PDS of the PDS data, the first firmware image, and the first endorsement, and generate a second endorsement based on the UDS and the first firmware image in response to a pass result of the first integrity check.