Secure input voltage adjustment in processing devices
First Claim
1. A method of controlling operating voltages for a processing device, the method comprising:
- initializing a security portion of the processing device after application of input voltages to the processing device as supplied by voltage regulation circuitry according to voltage identifiers (VIDs) established for the processing device;
in the security portion, generating adjusted input voltages based on at least the VIDs and authenticated voltage offset information stored according to a digitally signed security process, wherein the adjusted input voltages comprise voltages below manufacturer specified operating voltages for the processing device;
in the security portion, instructing the voltage regulation circuitry to supply the adjusted input voltages to the processing device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Secure voltage adjustment techniques for computing systems and processing devices are presented herein. In one example, a method of controlling operating voltages for a processing device includes initializing a security portion of the processing device after application of input voltages to the processing device as supplied by voltage regulation circuitry according to voltage identifiers (VIDs) established for the processing device. The method includes, in the security portion, generating adjusted input voltages based on at least the VIDs and authenticated voltage offset information stored according to a digitally signed security process, and instructing the voltage regulation circuitry to supply the adjusted input voltages to the processing device.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of controlling operating voltages for a processing device, the method comprising:
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initializing a security portion of the processing device after application of input voltages to the processing device as supplied by voltage regulation circuitry according to voltage identifiers (VIDs) established for the processing device; in the security portion, generating adjusted input voltages based on at least the VIDs and authenticated voltage offset information stored according to a digitally signed security process, wherein the adjusted input voltages comprise voltages below manufacturer specified operating voltages for the processing device; in the security portion, instructing the voltage regulation circuitry to supply the adjusted input voltages to the processing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus comprising:
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one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media; program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media that, based at least in part on execution by a security processor core of a processing device, direct the security processor core to at least; initialize the security processor core after application of input voltages to the processing device as supplied by voltage regulation circuitry according to voltage identifiers (VIDs) established for the processing device; generate adjusted input voltages based on at least the VIDs and authenticated voltage offset information stored according to a digitally signed security process, wherein the adjusted input voltages comprise voltages below manufacturer specified operating voltages for the processing device; instruct the voltage regulation circuitry to supply the adjusted input voltages to the processing device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A processing device, comprising:
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one or more processing cores; a security core configured to initialize after application of input voltages to the processing device, wherein the input voltages are supplied by voltage regulation circuitry according to voltage identifiers (VIDs) established for the processing device; the security core configured to read digitally signed voltage information stored in a memory and authenticate the digitally signed voltage information to determine voltage offset information for the processing device; the security core configured to execute a voltage modification process for the processing device that determines adjusted input voltages below manufacturer specified operating voltages for the processing device based on at least the VIDs and the voltage offset information, instructs the voltage regulation circuitry to supply the adjusted input voltages to the processing device, and verifies the voltage regulation circuitry has supplied the adjusted input voltages to the processing device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of controlling operating voltages for a processing device, the method comprising:
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storing in a non-volatile memory authenticated voltage offset information according to a digitally signed security protocol by at least digitally signing a data structure that includes voltage offset information; initializing a security portion of the processing device after application of input voltages to the processing device as supplied by voltage regulation circuitry according to voltage identifiers (VIDs) established for the processing device; in the security portion, generating adjusted input voltages based on at least the VIDs and the authenticated voltage offset information stored according to the digitally signed security protocol; and in the security portion, instructing the voltage regulation circuitry to supply the adjusted input voltages to the processing device.
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Specification