# US 10,771,264 B2 · Securing firmware > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,264 B2 - Document ID: US10771264B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/155,983 - Filed: 2018-10-10 - Published: 2020-04-16 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-10 - Assignees: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP - Applicants: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP - Inventors: Nigel Edwards; Ludovic Emmanuel Paul Noel Jacquin; Thomas Laffey; Theofrastos Koulouris - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771264B2 ## CPC - H04L 9/3265: {using certificate chains, trees or paths; Hierarchical trust model} - G06F 21/572: {Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]} - H04L 9/0643: {Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC} - H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method for secure data protection includes generating a firmware digital certificate for a layer of firmware. The firmware operates a hardware component of a compute node. The firmware digital certificate is an attribute certificate. The firmware digital certificate includes a cumulative hash of the layer of firmware and a nonce. The cumulative hash includes a concatenation of a hash of the layer of firmware and a hash of each one or more lower layers of the firmware. The method includes authenticating the layer of firmware using a trusted data store. The trusted data store includes a binary image of an expected layer of firmware and a certificate chain comprising the hardware digital certificate and the firmware digital certificate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for securing firmware, comprising: generating a firmware digital certificate for a layer of firmware, wherein the firmware operates a hardware component of a compute node, wherein the firmware digital certificate comprises an attribute certificate, and wherein the firmware digital certificate comprises: a cumulative hash of the layer of firmware, wherein the cumulative hash comprises a concatenation of: a hash of the layer of firmware; and a hash of each one or more lower layers of the firmware; and a nonce; and authenticating the layer of firmware using a trusted data store comprising a binary image of an expected layer of firmware, and a certificate chain comprising a hardware digital certificate and the firmware digital certificate; generating an additional firmware digital certificate for an additional layer of firmware, wherein the additional firmware operates the hardware component of the compute node, wherein the additional firmware digital certificate is signed by a private key installed in a previous layer of firmware, and wherein the additional firmware digital certificate comprises: an additional hash of the additional layer of firmware; an additional cumulative hash with the additional layer of firmware added to the accumulation; and a new key pair with a new private key installed in the additional layer of firmware; and authenticating the additional layer of firmware using the trusted data store comprising an additional binary image of the additional layer of firmware, wherein the certificate chain comprises the additional firmware digital certificate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware digital certificate for a first layer of the firmware is signed with a private key of the hardware digital certificate for the hardware component. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising signing the firmware digital certificate with the private key of the hardware digital certificate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware digital certificate comprises a plurality of measurements of a corresponding plurality of layers of the firmware, wherein each of the measurements comprise a hash of a binary image of a corresponding layer of the firmware. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware digital certificate is generated based on an X.509 standard. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the additional firmware certificate comprises: an additional cumulative hash comprising an additional concatenation of: a cryptographic hash of the layer of firmware; and an additional cryptographic hash of the additional layer of firmware; the nonce; and an alias ID. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an initiator provides the nonce to the responder. ### Claim 8 A system, comprising: a processor; and a memory component that stores instructions that cause the processor to: generate a firmware digital certificate for a layer of firmware, wherein the firmware operates a hardware component of a compute node, wherein the firmware digital certificate comprises an attribute certificate, and wherein the firmware digital certificate comprises: a cumulative hash of the layer of firmware, wherein the cumulative hash comprises a concatenation of: a hash of the layer of firmware; and a hash of each one or more lower layers of the firmware; and a nonce; and authenticate the layer of firmware using a trusted data store comprising a binary image of an expected layer of firmware, and a certificate chain comprising a hardware digital certificate and the firmware digital certificate; generate an additional firmware digital certificate for an additional layer of firmware, wherein the additional firmware operates the hardware component of the compute node, wherein the additional firmware digital certificate comprises an additional hash of the additional layer of firmware, wherein the additional firmware digital certificate is signed by a private key installed in a previous layer of firmware, and wherein the additional firmware digital certificate comprises: an additional hash of the additional layer of firmware; an additional cumulative hash with the additional layer of firmware added to the accumulation; and a new key pair with a new private key installed in the additional layer of firmware; and authenticate the additional layer of firmware using the trusted data store comprising an additional binary image of the additional layer of firmware, wherein the certificate chain comprises the additional firmware digital certificate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the firmware digital certificate for a first layer of the firmware is signed with a private key of the hardware digital certificate for the hardware component. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the processor to sign the firmware digital certificate with the private key of the hardware digital certificate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the firmware digital certificate comprises a plurality of measurements of a corresponding plurality of layers of the firmware, wherein each of the measurements comprise a hash of a binary image of a corresponding layer of the firmware. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the firmware digital certificate is generated based on an X.509 standard. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the additional firmware certificate comprises: an additional cumulative hash comprising an additional concatenation of: a cryptographic hash of the layer of firmware; and an additional cryptographic hash of the additional layer of firmware; the nonce; and an alias ID. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein an initiator provides the nonce to the responder. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed, cause a computer to: generate a firmware digital certificate for a layer of firmware, wherein the firmware operates a hardware component of a compute node, wherein the firmware digital certificate comprises an attribute certificate, and wherein the firmware digital certificate comprises: a cumulative hash of the layer of firmware, wherein the cumulative hash comprises a concatenation of: a hash of the layer of firmware; and a hash of each one or more lower layers of the firmware; a plurality of measurements of a corresponding plurality of layers of the firmware, wherein each of the measurements comprise a hash of a binary image of a corresponding layer of the firmware; and a nonce; generate an additional firmware digital certificate for an additional layer of firmware, wherein the additional firmware operates the hardware component of the compute node, wherein the additional firmware digital certificate is signed by a private key installed in a previous layer of firmware, and wherein the additional firmware digital certificate comprises: an additional hash of the additional layer of firmware; an additional cumulative hash with the additional layer of firmware added to the accumulation; and a new key pair with a new private key installed in the additional layer of firmware; authenticate the layer of firmware using a trusted data store comprising a binary image of an expected layer of firmware, and a certificate chain comprising a hardware digital certificate and the firmware digital certificate; and authenticate the additional layer of firmware using the trusted data store comprising an additional binary image of the additional layer of firmware, wherein the certificate chain comprises the additional firmware digital certificate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the firmware digital certificate for a first layer of the firmware is signed with a private key of the hardware digital certificate for the hardware component. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the computer to sign the firmware digital certificate with the private key of the hardware digital certificate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the firmware digital certificate is generated based on an X.509 standard.