System and method for booting processors with encrypted boot image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11423150-B2
Application number	US-201916371191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2019
Priority date	Sep 7, 2018
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

The concepts, systems and methods described herein are directed towards a method for secure booting. The method is provided to including: loading and executing a firmware in a Management Engine (ME) of a system; establishing, by the ME, a communication channel to a security device; receiving, by the ME, an encrypted boot image from the security device; decrypting, by the ME, the encrypted boot image; storing, by the ME, the decrypted boot image in a secured storage medium; and resetting the system using the decrypted boot image in the secured storage medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for secure booting of a system comprising a processor, a management engine (ME) and a secured storage medium, the method comprising:
loading and executing a firmware in the ME;
establishing, by the ME, a communication channel to a security device, the security device comprises a Hardware Root of Trust (HRoT) device, wherein the HRoT device and the system that is being booted are respective independent systems;
receiving, by the ME, an encrypted boot image from the security device;
decrypting, by the ME, the encrypted boot image;
storing, by the ME, the decrypted boot image in the secured storage medium; and
resetting the system using the decrypted boot image in the secured storage medium;
loading, by the ME, an unencrypted boot image;
encrypting, by the ME, the unencrypted boot image using a unique key;
storing, by the ME, the encrypted boot image in the security device;
generating, by the ME, an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) key;
encrypting, by the ME, the unencrypted boot image using the AES key;
encrypting, by the ME, the AES key; and
storing, by the ME, the encrypted boot image and the encrypted AES key in the security device;
wherein the encrypted boot image is generated using the unique key that is generated by the ME.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique key comprises a unique-per-processor key that is generated based upon unique key material of the processor, wherein the unique key material of the processor is accessible by the ME.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transferring data to and from the security device via the communication channel.

4. A system comprising:
a processor and memory;
a management engine (ME); and
a secured storage medium;
wherein the ME is configured to:
load and execute a firmware;
establish a communication channel to a security device, the security device comprises a Hardware Root of Trust (HRoT) device wherein the HRoT device and the system that is being booted are respective independent systems;
receive an encrypted boot image from the security device;
decrypt the encrypted boot image;
store the decrypted boot image in the secured storage medium,
wherein the system resets using the decrypted boot image in the secured storage medium;
load, by the ME, an unencrypted boot image;
encrypt, by the ME, the unencrypted boot image using a unique key;
store, by the ME, the encrypted boot image in the security device;
generate, by the ME, an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) key;
encrypt, by the ME, the unencrypted boot image using the AES key;
encrypt, by the ME, the AES key; and
store, by the ME, the encrypted boot image and the encrypted AES key in the security device;
wherein the encrypted boot image is generated using the unique key that is generated by the ME.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the security device comprises a network server.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the comprises a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the communication channel to the security, device comprises an encrypted communication channel.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the ME is located in a Platform Controller Hub (PCH) of the system.

9. A method for secure booting of a system comprising a processor, a management engine (ME) and a secured storage medium, the method comprising:
loading and executing a firmware in the ME;
establishing, by the ME, a communication channel to a security device, the security device comprises a Hardware Root of Trust (HRoT) device;
loading, by the ME, an unencrypted boot image;
encrypting, by the ME, the unencrypted boot image using a unique key that is generated by the ME;
storing, by the ME, the encrypted boot image in the security device;
loading, by the ME, an unencrypted boot image;
encrypting, by the ME, the unencrypted boot image using the unique key;
storing, by the ME, the encrypted boot image in the security device;
generating, by the ME, an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) key;
encrypting, by the ME, the unencrypted boot image using the AES key;
encrypting, by the ME, the AES key; and
storing, by the ME, the encrypted boot image and the encrypted AES key in the security device;
wherein the encrypted boot image is generated using the unique key that is generated by the ME.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the unencrypted boot image is fetched from the HRoT device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the unencrypted boot image is retrieved from storage that is accessible by the ME.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, by the ME, the encrypted boot image from the security device;
decrypting, by the ME, the encrypted boot image;
storing, by the ME, the decrypted boot image in the secured storage medium; and
resetting the system using the decrypted boot image in the secured storage medium.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Areno Matthew C
• Coleman Jody R
• Adams Daniel

Classifications

• G06F21/606

  by securing the transmission between two devices or processes · CPC title

• H04L9/0897

  involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB · CPC title

• G05B2219/36542

  Cryptography, encrypt, access, authorize with key, code, password · CPC title

• G06F21/575 Primary

  Secure boot · CPC title

• G06F2221/033

  Test or assess software · CPC title