US 7,003,676 B1 · Locking mechanism override and disable for personal computer ROM access protection

Abstract

A method and system for overriding access locks on secure assets in a computer system. The system includes a processor and a device coupled to the processor. The device includes one or more sub-devices, one or more access locks, and an access lock override register that stores one or more access lock override bits, including a lock override bit. The one or more access locks are configured to prevent access to the one or more sub-devices when the one or more access locks are engaged. Access to the one or more sub-devices is not allowed when the lock override bit is set. The method includes requesting a memory transaction for one or more memory addresses and determining a lock status for the one or more memory addresses. The method also includes returning the lock status for the one or more memory addresses. The method may determine if the lock status for the one or more memory address can be changed. The method may change the lock status of the one or more memory addresses to allow the memory transaction.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a processor configured to operate in an operating mode, wherein the operating mode is one of a plurality of operating modes including a secure operating mode;
one or more secured assets coupled to the processor;
and
security hardware configured to control access to the secured assets dependant upon the operating mode of the processor, wherein the security hardware is configured to allow access to the secure assets in the secure operating mode, and wherein the security hardware includes a lock override register configured to deny access to the secure assets when a lock override bit is set.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

09/871,084Filed 30 May 2001 · continuation in part

Priority

10 May 2001

Granted

21 Feb 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06F 21/82
Protecting specific internal or peripheral components, in which the protection of a component leads to protection of the entire computer:…
G06F 21/74
To assure secure computing or processing of information: operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
G06F 21/79
To assure secure storage of data: in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application09/852,372Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 May 2001

Application09/852,942Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 May 2001

Application09/853,395Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 May 2001

Application09/853,446Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 May 2001

Application09/853,447Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 May 2001

Application09/853,225Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 May 2001

Application09/854,040Parent of this continuation · filed 11 May 2001

Application09/853,443Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 May 2001

Application09/853,437Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 May 2001

Application09/853,335Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 May 2001

Application09/853,234Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 May 2001