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US 11,455,394 B2Granted
Secure firmware interface
AssigneeAbsolute Software Corporation
InventorsEugene Khoruzhenko, Philip B Gardner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mailbox mechanism is used for communication of secure messages from a server to the firmware of a device. Mailbox content provided by the server is authenticated in a driver execution environment of the device, using reboots across the communication sessions, and then stored in secure storage. The communication sessions include first receiving a signed server key, and then receiving a message from the server that is based on a hash of a nonce generated by the device.
Claims15
A device, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- memory connected to the processor;
- the memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the device to:
- receive from a server, a signed server key, while the device is booted;
- reboot a first time;
- verify the signed server key during a DXE (driver execution environment) phase of firmware in the device during a boot process of the device;
- send a nonce to the server while the device is booted, the nonce being encrypted using the signed server key;
- receive, while the device is booted, a message from the server that includes a first portion with a secure command and a second portion that is based on a hash of the nonce;
- reboot a second time;
- verify the message during the DXE phase of the firmware during another boot process of the device;
- and
- execute the secure command.
10 more elements
A method for securely sending a command to a device comprising the steps of:
- receiving from a server, a signed server key, while the device is booted;
- rebooting the device a first time;
- verifying the signed server key during a DXE (driver execution environment) phase of firmware in the device during a boot process of the device;
- sending a nonce to the server while the device is booted, the nonce being encrypted using the signed server key;
- receiving, while the device is booted, a message from the server that includes a first portion with a secure command and a second portion that is based on a hash of the nonce;
- rebooting the device a second time;
- verifying the message during the DXE phase of the firmware during another boot process of the device;
- and
- executing the secure command.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.