Authenticating data returned from non-volatile memory commands

• US 20080082819A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Brizek, Jack, Ahlquist, Brent M.
• Application Number:
  US11/529,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082819A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC

Abstract

In some embodiments, a command may be used by a host processor to access certain information from a non-volatile memory, together with a message authentication code. That information may be utilized to generate a message authentication code on the processor. Then, in any future accesses, the message authentication code generated by the host processor may be compared to the message authentication code from the non-volatile memory to determine the integrity of data or code that is received from the non-volatile memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

authenticating data returned to a host from a non-volatile memory in response to a host generated command.

2. The method of claim 1 including providing a digest including less than all of the information provided to the host in response to the host command, said digest sufficient for authentication.

3. The method of claim 2 including providing a digest including a portion of the received host generated command.

4. The method of claim 3 including providing a digest including a portion of input parameters received from the host.

5. The method of claim 2 including generating an authentication code from said digest.

6. The method of claim 5 including generating a keyed host message authentication code from said digest.

7. The method of claim 6 including initially providing write protection status information to a host processor.

8. The method of claim 7 including providing write protection status information only once and reusing the information thereafter.

9. The method of claim 8 including providing the access control information in response to a special command received from a host.

10. The method of claim 9 including maintaining the access control information in a limited access region within the non-volatile memory.

11. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, enable a host processor-based system to:

authenticate data returned to a host from a non-volatile memory in response to a host generated command.

12. The medium of claim 11 further storing instructions to:

provide a digest including less than all of the information provided to the host in response to the host command, said digest sufficient for authentication.

13. The medium of claim 11 further storing instructions to provide a digest including a portion of the received host generated command.

14. The medium of claim 11 further storing instructions to provide a digest including a portion of input parameters received from the host.

15. The medium of claim 12 further storing instructions to generate an authentication code from said digest.

16. The medium of claim 15 further storing instructions to generate a keyed host message authentication code form said digest.

17. A system comprising:

a host processor;

a non-volatile memory; and

a memory bus coupled between the host processor and the non-volatile memory, said memory to authenticate data returned to a host from a non-volatile memory in response to a host generated command.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said non-volatile memory to provide a digest including less than all of the information provided to the host in response to the host command, said digest sufficient for authentication.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said non-volatile memory to provide a digest including a portion of the received host generated command.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein said non-volatile memory to provide a digest including a portion of input parameters received from the host.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein said non-volatile memory to generate an authentication code from said digest.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said processor to generate a keyed host message authentication code form said digest.

23. A non-volatile memory comprising:

a digest creator to create a digest from command code and input parameters received from a host as well as the command return data to be returned to the host from the memory; and

an authentication code generator to generate an authentication code from the digest.

24. The memory of claim 23 wherein said non-volatile memory to provide a digest including less than all of the information provided to the host in response to the host command, said digest sufficient for authentication.

25. The memory of claim 24 wherein said non-volatile memory to provide a digest including a portion of the received host generated command.

26. The memory of claim 23 wherein said memory is a flash memory.

27. The memory of claim 23 wherein said generator to generate a keyed host message authentication code from said digest.