Apparatus and methods for managing firmware verification on a wireless device

• US 20060280150A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jha, Sanjay K., Cassett, Tia Manning, Abdi, Behrooz L., Hwang, Jihyun, Scott, Clifton Eugene, Fok, Kenny
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44589 Program code verification, e.g. Java bytecode verification, proof-carrying code high-level semantic checks G06F8/43; testing and debugging software G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, processors and machine readable media for verifying the integrity of firmware on a wireless device. Aspects include generating a verification scheme for testing the integrity of firmware on a wireless device and transmitting the verification scheme to the wireless device. The wireless device applies the verification scheme to the firmware and obtains a verification test result, which is forwarded for analysis. An analyzer compares the generated verification test result with a predetermined test result to obtain an integrity determination that indicates the integrity of the firmware. In some aspects, control commands to change an operational characteristic of the wireless device may be generated based on the integrity determination.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a computer platform having firmware; and

a firmware verification module operable to execute a verification configuration to collect firmware information, wherein the firmware information is indicative of an integrity of the firmware.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the verification configuration further comprises a verification scheme, and wherein the firmware verifications module is further operable to execute the verification scheme on the firmware to generate a verification test result, wherein the verification test result is indicative of the integrity of the firmware.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the firmware verification module further comprises a predetermined verification result, and wherein the firmware verification module is operable to compare the predetermined verification result to the generated verification test result to determine the integrity of the firmware.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the firmware verification module is operable to transmit the generated verification test result to another device to determine the integrity of the firmware.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the firmware verification module is operable to transmit the generated verification test result across a wireless network.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the firmware verification scheme comprises at least one of a redundancy check, a test for a predetermined value at a predetermined location within the firmware, a check of firmware signature information, and a test for a predetermined result of applying a predetermined function to at least a portion of the firmware.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the firmware verification module is operable to apply the verification configuration to at least one predetermined segment of the firmware.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the verification configuration is received from another computer device across a wireless network, wherein the verification configuration comprises a verification scheme and a reporting parameter.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the verification scheme is selected from a plurality of verification schemes based on at least one of a type of the wireless device, an identity of a network service provider associated with the wireless device, and a type of the firmware.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the verification configuration further comprises at least one of a tracking parameter selected from a plurality of tracking parameters, the reporting parameter selected from a plurality of reporting parameters, and a control command parameter selected from a plurality of control command parameters.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the verification configuration further comprises a tracking parameter that identifies additional firmware information to collect.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the firmware verification module is further operable to establish a limited-access communications channel across a wireless network, wherein the limited-access communications channel is based on a predefined limited service configuration.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the limited-access communications channel is not available to an end user of the device.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a device control module operable to receive and execute a control command to change an operational characteristic of the device, wherein the control command is based on the integrity of the firmware.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the control command comprises at least one of a disable command, an enable command, and a reconfigure command, wherein the disable command makes the wireless device non-operable for non-emergency communications, wherein the enable command makes the wireless device operational for communications, and wherein the reconfigure command sets at least one data value relating to the firmware of the wireless device.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the device control module is further operable to check at least one of an authorization associated with an issuer of the control command and a verification of the control command.

17. A wireless device, comprising:

a means for controlling operations on the wireless device; and

a means for applying a verification configuration to the means for controlling operations of the wireless device to collect information indicative of an integrity of the means for controlling operations of the wireless device.

18. An apparatus for managing the integrity of firmware on a wireless device, comprising:

a firmware management module operable to generate and transmit a verification configuration to the wireless device, wherein the verification configuration comprises a verification scheme to apply to the firmware to test an integrity of the firmware;

an information repository operable to receive and store a generated verification test result based on an execution of the verification configuration by the wireless device; and

an analyzer operable to generate an integrity determination based on the generated verification test result, wherein the integrity determination represents an integrity of the firmware.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the verification configuration further comprises a predetermined verification result selected for the wireless device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the analyzer further comprises a predetermined verification result, and wherein the analyzer is operable to compare the generated verification test result to the predetermined verification result to generate the integrity determination.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a device control module operable to send a control command to change an operational characteristic of the wireless device, wherein the control command is based on the integrity determination.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the device control module is operable to verify the control command before transmitting the control command to the wireless device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the device control module comprises correlated data including a plurality of control permissions and a plurality of user identifications, and wherein the control command comprises at least one of a user identification and a control activity, and wherein the device control module comprises permission logic that compares the user identification and the control activity with the correlated data to generate a permission decision as to whether or not to carry out the control command.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the device control module is operable to receive the control command from another computer device located across a wireless network.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the verification configuration further comprises at least one of a tracking parameter selected from a plurality of tracking parameters, a reporting parameter selected from a plurality of reporting parameters, and a control command parameter selected from a plurality of control command parameters.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the firmware verification module is operable to select the verification scheme from a plurality of verification schemes and operable to transmit the verification configuration across a wireless network.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the analyzer is further operable to generate a report comprising the integrity determination, the verification configuration, and additional firmware information collected based on the verification configuration.

28. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a configurator module operable to select the verification scheme from a plurality of verification schemes based on at least one of a type of the wireless device, an identity of a network service provider associated with the wireless device, and a type of the firmware.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the verification scheme comprises segmenting the firmware, and wherein the integrity determination comprises a determination of the integrity of each segment of the firmware.

30. An apparatus for managing firmware integrity on a wireless device, comprising:

a generator means for generating and transmitting a verification configuration across a wireless network to a wireless device, wherein the verification configuration comprises a verification scheme to apply to the firmware to test an integrity of the firmware;

a storing means for receiving and storing a verification test result based on an execution of the verification configuration by the wireless device; and

an analysis means for analyzing the verification test result and generating a report based on the analysis, wherein the report comprises an integrity determination indicating an integrity of the firmware.

31. A method of verifying firmware integrity on a wireless device, comprising:

generating a verification configuration comprising a verification scheme to test an integrity of firmware on the wireless device;

forwarding the verification configuration to a wireless device;

receiving a generated verification test result based on an application of the verification scheme on the firmware by the wireless device; and

generating an integrity determination based on the generated verification test result, wherein the integrity determination indicates the integrity of the firmware.

32. The method of claim 31, where generating an integrity determination further comprises comparing the generated verification test result to a predetermined verification result.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising sending a control command to the wireless device to change an operational characteristic of the wireless device, where the control command is based on the integrity determination.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising verifying the control command before sending the control command to the wireless device.

35. The method of claim 34, where the control command comprises a user identification and a control activity, and where verifying the control command further comprises comparing the user identification and the control activity with a plurality of control permissions correlated with a plurality of user identifications.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising selecting the verification scheme from a plurality of verification schemes based on at least one of a type of the wireless device, an identity of a network service provider associated with the wireless device, and a type of the firmware.

37. The method of claim 31, where the verification scheme comprises segmenting the firmware, and wherein the integrity determination comprises a determination of the integrity of each segment of the firmware.

38. A method of verifying firmware integrity on a wireless device, comprising:

receiving a verification scheme for testing an integrity of firmware on the wireless device;

generating a verification test result based on applying the verification scheme to the firmware; and

forwarding the verification test result for analysis to determine the integrity of the firmware.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the firmware verification scheme comprises at least one of a redundancy check, a test for a predetermined value at a predetermined location within the firmware, a check of firmware signature information, and a test for a predetermined result of applying a predetermined function to at least a portion of the firmware.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising applying the verification scheme to at least one predetermined segment of the firmware.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the verification scheme is selected from a plurality of verification schemes based on at least one of a type of the wireless device, an identity of a network service provider associated with the wireless device, and a type of the firmware.

42. The method of claim 38, further comprising receiving a verification configuration, wherein the verification configuration comprises at least one of a tracking parameter selected from a plurality of tracking parameters, a reporting parameter selected from a plurality of reporting parameters, and a control command parameter selected from a plurality of control command parameters.

43. The method of claim 38, further comprising establishing a limited-access communications channel across a wireless network based on a predefined limited service configuration.

44. The method of claim 38, further comprising receiving a control command to change an operational characteristic of the wireless device, where the control command is based on the verification test result.

45. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations including:

generating a verification configuration comprising a verification scheme to test an integrity of firmware on the wireless device;

forwarding the verification configuration to a wireless device;

receiving a generated verification test result based on an application of the verification scheme on the firmware by the wireless device; and

generating an integrity determination based on the generated verification test result, wherein the integrity determination indicates the integrity of the firmware.

46. At least one processor configured to perform the actions of:

generating a verification configuration comprising a verification scheme to test an integrity of firmware on the wireless device;

forwarding the verification configuration to a wireless device;

receiving a generated verification test result based on an application of the verification scheme on the firmware by the wireless device; and

generating an integrity determination based on the generated verification test result, wherein the integrity determination indicates the integrity of the firmware.

47. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations including:

receiving a verification scheme for testing an integrity of firmware on the wireless device;

generating a verification test result based on applying the verification scheme to the firmware; and

forwarding the verification test result for analysis to determine the integrity of the firmware.

48. At least one processor configured to perform the actions of:

receiving a verification scheme for testing an integrity of firmware on the wireless device;

generating a verification test result based on applying the verification scheme to the firmware; and

forwarding the verification test result for analysis to determine the integrity of the firmware.