Switch component secure upgrade system

An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

• a processing system;
• and
• a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a management agent that is configured to:
• receive a component upgrade request that is encrypted with a management controller public key;
• decrypt the component upgrade request using a management controller private key;
• validate the component upgrade request, which is signed with a release management private key, using a release management public key;
• validate, in response to validating the component upgrade request, a component upgrade payload that is included in the component upgrade request;
• and
• upgrade, in response to validating the component upgrade payload, a switch component using the component upgrade payload and via a read-write communication channel that is the only read-write communication channel connected to the switch component.

A method for securely updating a switch component, comprising:

• receiving, by a management controller system, a component upgrade request that is encrypted with a management controller public key;
• decrypting, by the management controller system, the component upgrade request using a management controller private key;
• validating, by the management controller system, the component upgrade request, which is signed with a release management private key, using a release management public key;
• validating, by the management controller system in response to validating the component upgrade request, a component upgrade payload that is included in the component upgrade request;
• and
• upgrading, by the management controller system in response to validating the component upgrade payload, a switch component using the component upgrade payload and via a read-write communication channel that is the only read-write communication channel connected to the switch component.