DEVICE COMPONENT ROLL BACK PROTECTION SCHEME

• US 20090119744A1
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tan, Victor, Lange, Sebastian, Poulos, Adam G.
• Application Number:
  US12/016,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119744A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/70 Protecting specific internal or peripheral components, in which the protection of a component leads to protection of the entire computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques for enforcing a subcomponent related security policy for closed computing systems. A closed computing system can include a list of subcomponents that identify the subcomponents it was manufactured with. The list can be used to determine if any currently attached subcomponents are different than the original ones. If a new subcomponent is detected, the device can perform a predetermined action in accordance with a security policy.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium including computer readable instructions for enforcing a policy, the computer readable instructions comprising:

instructions for determining whether a subcomponent currently attached to a device is listed in a subcomponent list, wherein the subcomponent list includes identification information for a subcomponent attached to the device during a manufacturing process; and

instructions for performing an action in accordance with a security policy in response to the determination.

2. The computer readable instruction of claim 1, wherein the subcomponent list includes an encrypted hash of the information in the subcomponent list.

3. The computer readable instructions of claim 2, wherein the subcomponent list is stored in a protected memory location, the protected memory location encrypted with a key stored in a processor of the device.

4. The computer readable instruction of claim 1, wherein the subcomponent list is encrypted and is configured to be decrypted with a public decryption key stored in the device.

5. The computer readable instructions of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes information selected from a group consisting of a model number of the subcomponent, a version number of hardware in the subcomponent, a version number of firmware in the subcomponent, a serial number of the subcomponent, and a name of the manufacturer of the subcomponent.

6. The computer readable instructions of claim 1, wherein instructions for performing an action in accordance with a security policy further comprise:

instruction for disabling the device when the currently attached subcomponent is different than the subcomponent listed in the subcomponent list.

7. The computer readable instructions of claim 1, wherein instructions for performing an action in accordance with a security policy further comprise:

instructions for disabling the device when the currently attached subcomponent is included in a list of unallowable subcomponents.

8. The computer readable instructions of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for determining whether the subcomponent currently attached to the device is listed in a subcomponent list during a pre-boot sequence.

9. The computer readable instructions of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for determining whether the subcomponent currently attached to the device is listed in a subcomponent list when the currently attached subcomponent is used.

10. The computer readable instructions of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions for determining whether the subcomponent currently attached to the device is listed in a subcomponent list when the device connects to a remote device.

11. A closed computing device comprising:

at least one subcomponent operatively coupled to a main board of the device; and

a protected memory location integrated with the main board that includes a subcomponent list and an encrypted hash of information in the subcomponent list, wherein the information in the subcomponent list includes identification information for a subcomponent attached to the main board during a manufacturing process.

12. The closed computing device of claim 11, wherein the subcomponent list was previously transmitted to the device by a service provider.

13. The closed computing device of claim 11, wherein the subcomponent list was previously transmitted to the device by a manufacturer of the device.

14. The closed computing device of claim 11, wherein the information in the subcomponent list includes a device specific number associated with the device.

15. The closed computing device of claim 11, wherein the protected memory location is encrypted.

16. The closed computing device of claim 11, further comprising:

a processor operable to determine whether identification information for a subcomponent currently attached to the main board matches the identification information for the subcomponent attached to the main board during the manufacturing process.

17. A method for enabling the enforcement of a hardware based policy, the method comprising:

receiving, from a device, information related to a plurality of subcomponents in the device;

generating a hash of the information related to the plurality of subcomponents in the device and a device identifier associated with the device;

encrypting the hash using a private encryption key; and

transmitting, to the device, the encrypted hash.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the information related to a plurality of subcomponents includes information selected from a group consisting of model numbers of the plurality of subcomponents, version numbers of hardware in the plurality of subcomponents, version numbers of firmware in the plurality of subcomponents, serial numbers of the plurality of subcomponents, and names of the manufacturers of the plurality of subcomponents.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting, to a service provider, the information related to the plurality of subcomponents in the device and the device identifier associated with the device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting, to the device, a decryption key operable to decrypt the hash.