# US 2014/0157427 A1 · Apparatus and method for verifying integrity of firmware of embedded system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0157427 A1 - Document ID: US20140157427A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/941,520 - Filed: 2013-07-14 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute - Applicants: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute - Inventors: Hyo-Won KIM; Jung-Hyung PARK; Jae-Woo HAN; Dae-Seon PARK; Hye-Ryoun CHUNG; Jin-Ha HWANG; Bon-Seok KOO; Sang-Woo PARK - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157427A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/572: {Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]} - G06F 21/645: {using a third party} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An apparatus and method for verifying the integrity of firmware of an embedded system is provided. The apparatus for verifying the integrity of firmware of an embedded system includes a target integrity code obtainment unit for obtaining a target integrity code of firmware of the embedded system. A source integrity code obtainment unit obtains a source integrity code of source firmware. An integrity determination unit determines whether integrity of the firmware of the embedded system is maintained, by using the target integrity code and the source integrity code. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for verifying integrity of firmware of an embedded system, comprising: a target integrity code obtainment unit for obtaining a target integrity code of firmware of the embedded system; a source integrity code obtainment unit for obtaining a source integrity code of source firmware; and an integrity determination unit for determining whether integrity of the firmware of the embedded system is maintained, by using the target integrity code and the source integrity code. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the target integrity code obtainment unit stores a program for calculating an integrity code in execution memory of the embedded system, and obtains the target integrity code calculated by executing the program. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the target integrity code obtainment unit determines whether a checksum of the program is normal and stores the program in the execution memory if it is determined that the checksum of the program is normal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the target integrity code obtainment unit comprises a communication interface for transmitting an execution signal for the program to the embedded system and receiving the target integrity code from the embedded system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the communication interface comprises one or more of a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART), and an Ethernet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a screen display unit for displaying information about whether the integrity of the firmware of the embedded system is maintained on a screen. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein: the target integrity code obtainment unit comprises a program database for storing and updating the program, and the source integrity code obtainment unit comprises a firmware database for storing and updating the source firmware. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the firmware database stores and updates the source integrity code of the source firmware. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the integrity determination unit compares the target integrity code with the source integrity code, and determines in different manners whether the integrity is maintained depending on whether the target integrity code is found to be identical to the source integrity code as a result of the comparison. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the integrity determination unit determines that the integrity is maintained if the target integrity code is found to be identical to the source integrity code as a result of the comparison, and determines that the integrity is not maintained if the target integrity code is not found to be identical to the source integrity code as a result of the comparison. ### Claim 11 A method for verifying integrity of firmware of an embedded system, comprising: obtaining a target integrity code of firmware of the embedded system; obtaining a source integrity code of source firmware; and determining whether integrity of the firmware of the embedded system is maintained, by using the target integrity code and the source integrity code. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein obtaining the target integrity code is configured to store a program for calculating an integrity code in execution memory of the embedded system, and obtain the target integrity code calculated by executing the program. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein obtaining the target integrity code is configured to determine whether a checksum of the program is normal, and store the program in the execution memory if it is determined that the checksum of the program is normal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining the target integrity code is configured to comprise a communication interface for transmitting an execution signal for the program to the embedded system and receiving the target integrity code from the embedded system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the communication interface comprises one or more of a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (URT), and an Ethernet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying information about whether the integrity of the firmware of the embedded system is maintained on a screen. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: obtaining the target integrity code is configured to comprise a program database for storing and updating the program, and obtaining the source integrity code is configured to comprise a firmware database for storing and updating the source firmware. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the firmware database stores and updates the source integrity code of the source firmware. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the integrity of the firmware of the embedded system is maintained is configured to compare the target integrity code with the source integrity code, and determine in different manners whether the integrity is maintained depending on whether the target integrity code is found to be identical to the source integrity code as a result of the comparison. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the integrity of the firmware of the embedded system is maintained is configured to determine that the integrity is maintained if the target integrity code is found to be identical to the source integrity code as a result of the comparison, and determine that the integrity is not maintained if the target integrity code is not found to be identical to the source integrity code as a result of the comparison.