Validating firmware on a computing device

A method comprising:

• acquiring from a server, by use of a processor, a firmware manifest for a locally stored firmware image,
• wherein locally stored firmware comprises a plurality of logical sections, the firmware manifest indicating expected properties for each logical section of the locally stored firmware and expected content for each logical section of the locally stored firmware, the firmware manifest including a digital signature,
• wherein the expected properties for each logical section of the locally stored firmware include:
• a location of the logical section, a type of content within the logical section, a size of the logical section, and checking data for the logical section,
• wherein the type of content within the logical section indicates whether the logical section is one of:
• a code region, an empty region, and a data region, wherein the plurality of logical sections comprises at least one code region and at least one data region;
• verifying, at a local device, the digital signature of the firmware manifest using a geography specific key;
• and
• validating, at the local device, contents of the locally stored firmware image based on the firmware manifest wherein validating the contents of the locally stored firmware image comprises confirming the location and size of the at least one data region and ignoring the checking data of the at least one data region, and wherein validating the contents of the locally stored firmware comprises confirming the checking data of the at least one code region.

A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal and that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

• acquiring, from a server, a firmware manifest for locally stored firmware,
• wherein locally stored firmware comprises a plurality of logical sections, the firmware manifest indicating expected properties for each logical section of the locally stored firmware and expected content for each logical section of the locally stored firmware,
• wherein the expected properties for each logical section of the locally stored firmware include:
• a location of the logical section, a type of content within the logical section, a size of the logical section, and checking data for the logical section,
• wherein the type of content within the logical section indicates whether the logical section is one of:
• a code region, an empty region, and a data region, wherein the plurality of logical sections comprises at least one code region and at least one data region;
• authenticating, prior to installation of the locally stored firmware, the digital signature of the firmware manifest, the firmware manifest being signed by a geography-specific key;
• and
• validating, prior to installation of the locally stored firmware, contents of the locally stored firmware using the firmware manifest, wherein validating the contents of the locally stored firmware comprises confirming the location and size of the at least one data region and ignoring the checking data of the at least one data region, and wherein validating the contents of the locally stored firmware comprises confirming the checking data of the at least one code region.