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US 9,317,691 B2Granted
Pre-boot software verification
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorKevin B. Locke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for implementing pre-boot software verification may involve using an embedded controller (EC) and a basic input/output system (BIOS) to confirm each other's firmware using hash values. The hash values may be generated from certain portions of the firmware, which may overlap and may be specific to a particular firmware version.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- sending, by a basic/input output system (BIOS) firmware included in an information handling system, a first request for a first hash value;
- responsive to receiving the first request, computing, by an embedded controller (EC) firmware included in the information handling system, the first hash value;
- sending, by the EC firmware, the first hash value to the BIOS firmware;
- when the BIOS firmware determines that the first hash value matches a first reference hash value, sending, by the BIOS firmware, a first confirmation to the EC firmware that the first hash value is accepted;
- responsive to receiving the first confirmation, sending, by the EC firmware, a second request for a second hash value;
- responsive to receiving the second request, computing, by the BIOS firmware, the second hash value;
- sending, by the BIOS firmware, the second hash value to the EC firmware;
- and
- when the EC firmware determines that the second hash value matches a second reference hash value, sending, by the EC firmware, a second confirmation to the BIOS firmware that the second hash value is accepted.
6 more elements
An information handling system, comprising:
- a processor subsystem having access to a basic/input output system (BIOS) firmware, wherein the BIOS firmware includes first instructions executable by the processor subsystem;
- and
- an embedded controller (EC) including a second processor having access to EC firmware, wherein the EC firmware includes second instructions executable by the second processor, wherein the first instructions and the second instructions are executable to:
- send, by the BIOS firmware, a first request for a first hash value;
- responsive to receiving the first request, compute, by the EC firmware, the first hash value;
- send, by the EC firmware, the first hash value to the BIOS firmware;
- when the BIOS firmware determines that the first hash value matches a first reference hash value, send, by the BIOS firmware, a first confirmation to the EC firmware that the first hash value is accepted;
- responsive to receiving the first confirmation, send, by the EC firmware, a second request for a second hash value;
- responsive to receiving the second request, compute, by the BIOS firmware, the second hash value;
- send, by the BIOS firmware, the second hash value to the EC firmware;
- and
- when the EC firmware determines that the second hash value matches a second reference hash value, send, by the EC firmware, a second confirmation to the BIOS firmware that the second hash value is accepted.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.