Controlled customization of silicon initialization

• US 10,310,865 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Yao, Jiewen, Zimmer, Vincent, Adams, Nicholas, Wiseman, Willard, Mudusuru, Giri, Zhang, Nuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin C
• Application Number:
  US15/100,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4403 Processor initialisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to controlled customization of silicon initialization. A device may comprise, for example, a boot module including a memory on which boot code is stored, the boot code including at least an initial boot block (IBB) module that is not customizable and a global platform database (GPD) module including customizable data. The IBB module may include a pointer indicating GPD module location. The customizable data may comprise configurable parameters and simple configuration language (SCL) to cause the device to execute at least one logical operation during execution of the boot code. The GPD module may further comprise a pointer indicating SCL location. The boot code may be executed upon activation of the device, which may cause the IBB module to load an interpreter for executing the SCL. The interpreter may also verify access request operations in the SCL are valid before executing the access request operations.

Claims

1. A device configured for controlled customization of silicon initialization, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the performance of the following operations comprising;

initiating an initial boot block (IBB) module of the device, wherein the IBB module is not accessible for customization, is in the form of silicon integrated code for the device, and comprises a pointer that points to a region of a memory comprising the IBB module at which a current global platform database (GPD) of the device is stored, the current GPD comprising customizable data comprising simple configuration language (SCL) associated with the current GPD;

determining, with the IBB module, whether an update to the current GPD exists in the device; and

when it is determined that an update to the current GPD exists in the device;

marking, with the IBB module, the current GPD as invalid;

modifying, with the IBB module, the pointer to point to an updated GPD corresponding to the update; and

causing the IBB module to boot the device using the updated GPD and SCL associated with the updated GPD.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

determining, with the IBB module, whether an update to the current GPD exists in the device comprises determining whether there is data on the device that is to modify or replace at least a portion of the current GPD or SCL associated with the current GPD.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein causing the IBB to boot the device using the updated GPD and the SCL associated with the updated GPD comprises:

causing, with the IBB module, an interpreter of the device to be loaded; and

executing the SCL associated with the updated GPD with the interpreter, wherein executing the SCL associated with the updated GPD causes the device to perform at least one logical operation specified by the SCL associated with the updated GPD during booting of the device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said instructions when executed further cause the performance of the following operations comprising, with said IBB:

determining whether the SCL associated with the updated GPD is valid prior to loading said interpreter;

causing said interpreter to be loaded when it is determined that said SCL associated with the updated GPD is valid; and

causing the issuance of an error message when it is determined that said SCL associated with the updated GPD is invalid.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one logical operation comprises at least one access operation; and

the at least one access operation comprises at least one request to read or alter data stored in the device, to store new data in the device, or a combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said instructions when executed further cause the IBB to determine whether the at least one access request operation is valid, prior to execution of the at least one access request operation.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the updated GPD comprises an offset indicating where in the updated GCD the SCD associated with the updated GCD is located.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said instructions when executed further cause said the performance of the following operations comprising, with the IBB module:

determining whether the pointer pointing to the updated GPD is value; and

when it is determined that the pointer pointing to the updated GPD is valid;

obtaining a token based on the pointer;

determining whether the token is valid; and

when it is determined that the token is valid, accessing the updated GPD.

9. A method for controlled customization of silicon initialization, comprising:

initiating an initial boot block (IBB) module of a device, wherein the IBB module is not accessible for customization, is in the form of silicon integrated code for the device, and comprises a pointer that points to a region of a memory of the device comprising the IBB module at which a current global platform database (GPD) of the device is stored, the current GPD comprising customizable data comprising simple configuration language (SCL) associated with the current GPD;

determining, with the IBB module, whether an update to the current GPD exists in the device; and

when it is determined that an update to the current GPD exists in the device;

marking, with the IBB module, the current GPD as invalid;

modifying, with the IBB module, the pointer to point to an updated GPD corresponding to the update; and

causing the IBB module to boot the device using the updated GPD and SCL associated with the updated GPD.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining with the IBB module whether an update to the current GPD exists in the device comprises determining whether there is data on the device that is to modify or replace at least a portion of the current GPD or SCL associated with the current GPD.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein booting the device using the updated GPD and the SCL associated with the updated GPD comprises:

causing, with the IBB module, an interpreter of the device to be loaded; and

executing the SCL associated with the updated GPD with the interpreter, wherein executing the SCL associated with the updated GPD causes the device to perform at least one logical operation specified by the SCL associated with the updated GPD during booting of the device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the at least one logical operation comprises at least one access operation; and

the at least one access operation comprises at least one request to read or alter data stored in the device, to store new data in the device, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising, with said IBB:

determining whether the SCL associated with the updated GPD is valid prior to loading said interpreter;

causing said interpreter to be loaded when it is determined that said SCL associated with the updated GPD is valid; and

causing the issuance of an error message when it is determined that said SCL associated with the updated GPD is invalid.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

locating an offset in the updated GPD, the offset indicating where in the updated GPD the SCD associated with the updated GPD is located.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the pointer pointing to the updated GPD is value; and

when it is determined that the pointer pointing to the updated GPD is valid;

obtaining a token based on the pointer;

determining whether the token is valid; and

when it is determined that the token is valid, accessing the updated GPD.

16. At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon, individually or in combination, instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations for controlled customization of silicon initialization, comprising:

initiating an initial boot block (IBB) module of a device, wherein the IBB module is not accessible for customization, is in the form of silicon integrated code for the device, and comprises a pointer that points to a region of a memory of the device comprising the IBB module at which a current global platform database (GPD) of the device is stored, the current GPD comprising customizable data comprising simple configuration language (SCL) associated with the current GPD;

determining, with the IBB module, whether an update to the current GPD exists in the device; and

when it is determined that an update to the current GPD exists in the device;

marking, with the IBB module, the current GPD as invalid;

modifying, with the IBB module, the pointer to point to an updated GPD corresponding to the update; and

causing the IBB module to boot the device using the updated GPD and SCL associated with the updated GPD.

17. The at least one non-transitory medium of claim 16, wherein determining with the IBB module whether an update to the current GPD exists in the device comprises determining whether there is data on the device that is to modify or replace at least a portion of the current GPD or SCL associated with the current GPD.

18. The at least one non-transitory medium of claim 16, wherein booting the device using the updated GPD and the SCL associated with the updated GPD comprises:

causing, with the IBB module, an interpreter of the device to be loaded; and

executing the SCL associated with the updated GPD with the interpreter, wherein executing the SCL associated with the updated GPD causes the device to perform at least one logical operation specified by the SCL associated with the updated GPD during booting of the device.

19. The at least one non-transitory medium of claim 18, wherein:

the at least one logical operation comprises at least one access operation; and

the at least one access operation comprises at least one request to read or alter data stored in the device, to store new data in the device, or a combination thereof.

20. The at least one non-transitory medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations, comprising:

locating an offset in the updated GPD module indicating where in the updated GPD module the SCL associated with the updated GPD is located.

21. The at least one non-transitory medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations, comprising:

determining whether the pointer pointing to the updated GPD is value; and

when it is determined that the pointer pointing to the updated GPD is valid;

obtaining a token based on the pointer;

determining whether the token is valid; and

when it is determined that the token is valid, accessing the updated GPD.

22. The at least one non-transitory medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations, comprising, with said IBB:

determining whether the SCL associated with the updated GPD is valid prior to loading said interpreter;

causing said interpreter to be loaded when it is determined that said SCL associated with the updated GPD is valid; and

causing the issuance of an error message when it is determined that said SCL associated with the updated GPD is invalid.