Memory device with secure boot updates and self recovery
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorZhan Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The example embodiments relate to improvements in managing boot code images. In an embodiment, a device is disclosed comprising a memory device, the memory device including a storage array, the storage array comprising a first partition and a second partition, wherein the first partition comprises a writeable partition and the second partition comprises a write-protected partition; and a processor configured to: load a golden boot image from the second partition, display a boot prompt after loading the golden boot image, receive an update boot image, the update boot image including a signature, read a public key from the second partition, validate the signature using the public key, and replace a current boot image stored in the first partition with the update boot image.
Claims20
A device comprising:
- a memory device including a storage array with at least two partitions;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- load a boot image from a protected partition in the at least two partitions,
- receive an update boot image,
- validate the update boot image, and
- store the update boot image in a writeable partition in the at least two partitions.
A method comprising:
- detecting a keypress during a boot sequence of a computing device;
- switching from a first boot partition to a second boot partition in response to the keypress;
- loading a secure boot image from the second boot partition;
- receiving an update boot image via a network connection;
- validating the update boot image using a cryptographic key stored in the second boot partition;
- and
- updating a primary boot image in the first boot partition with the validated update boot image.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- maintaining a boot image version log for a plurality of boot images;
- receiving a request to roll back to a previous boot image version;
- validating the request using an authentication mechanism;
- identifying a target boot image corresponding to the previous boot image version in a secure partition;
- verifying integrity of the target boot image;
- replacing a current boot image in an active partition with the target boot image;
- and
- updating the boot image version log to reflect the roll back.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.