Firmware update patch

A method for use with a computing system, the method comprising:

• storing a firmware update patch in a runtime buffer included in memory, wherein the runtime buffer is accessible by firmware and an operating system of the computing system, the firmware update patch being an update to a driver having a primary globally unique identifier (GUID);
• performing a first verification check on the firmware update patch stored in the runtime buffer;
• when the firmware update patch passes the first verification check, copying the firmware update patch to a system management random access memory (SMRAM) buffer included in the memory, wherein the SMRAM buffer is accessible by the firmware and inaccessible by the operating system;
• performing a second verification check on the copy of the firmware update patch stored in the SMRAM buffer;
• and
• assigning a staging GUID to the copy of the firmware update patch stored in the SMRAM buffer;
• when the copy of the firmware update patch passes the second verification check, executing the copy of the firmware update patch to update the driver and reassign the primary GUID to the updated driver.

A computing system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
• store a firmware update patch in a runtime buffer included in the memory, wherein the runtime buffer is accessible by firmware and an operating system of the computing system;
• at a system management mode (SMM) core having a primary globally unique identifier (GUID), copy the firmware update patch to a system management random access memory (SMRAM) buffer included in the memory, wherein the SMRAM buffer is accessible by the firmware and inaccessible by the operating system;
• and
• execute the copy of the firmware update patch, wherein executing the copy of the firmware update patch includes, at an SMM helper:
• assigning a staging GUID to the copy of the firmware update patch stored in the SMRAM buffer;
• applying the copy of the firmware update patch to the SMM core to obtain an updated SMM core;
• and
• reassigning the primary GUID to the updated SMM core.