TAMPER RESISTANT METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20090172420A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Zayas, Fernando A.
• Application Number:
  US11/967,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/194
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot

Abstract

A method for authenticating software for use in a device includes encrypting software to be input to a device with a private key, and decrypting the software presented to the device with a public key retrieved from a memory accessible by the device.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating software for use in a device comprising:

encrypting software to be input to a disk drive with a private key; and

decrypting the software at the device with a public key retrieved from a memory of in communication with the device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing the software presented to the device matches the decryption of the previously encrypted.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the software decrypted with the public key of the software does not match the software for running on of the device; and

disallowing the execution of the software.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the software decrypted with the public key of the software does not match the software for running on of the device; and

disabling at least one scan port associated with an integrated circuit associated with the device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the software decrypted with the public key of the software does not match the software for running on of the device; and

disabling substantially every scan port associated with an integrated circuit associated with the device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the decrypted software to the software presented to the device;

loading the software; and

executing the loaded software.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the software is firmware that includes a set of instructions to be embedded in a hardware element associated with the device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a disk drive.

9. A method comprising:

determining a hash code on firmware used to operate a device;

encrypting the determined hash code using a private key;

storing a public key in a memory accessible to the device;

and before execution of firmware presented to a device, determining the hash code on the firmware presented to the device; and

decrypting the previously encrypted hash code of the firmware; and

comparing the decrypted hash code to the hash code of the firmware presented for execution on the device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the firmware presented to the device is allowed to be loaded and executed by the device when the decrypted hash code matches the hash code of the firmware presented for execution on the device.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the firmware presented to the device is prevented from being loaded and executed by the device when the decrypted hash code does not match the hash code of the firmware presented for execution on the device.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the device is an integrated circuit.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the device is an integrated circuit which further comprises a trace port, the method further comprising disabling the trace port.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a JTAG port, and wherein the method further comprises disabling the JTAG port.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the integrated circuit is an application specific integrated circuit.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the integrated circuit is an application specific integrated circuit that handles a plurality of functions of a disk drive.

17. An integrated circuit comprising:

a processor;

a read only memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a visibility port associated with the integrated circuit capable of providing information about the processor and the read only memory to the port, wherein the read only memory includes at least a portion of cryptographic information; and

a visibility port disabler that masks visibility port during cryptographic operations of the processor.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 17 wherein the portion of the read only memory including cryptographic information includes:

an entry vector; and

an exit vector, wherein the visibility port disabler masks the visibility port between the time the entry vector is requested and the exit vector request is executed.

19. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

determine that software code has been presented to an input port; and

enable an authentication routine to authenticate the software code.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 19 wherein the machine readable medium provides further instructions, when executed by a machine, that cause the machine to disable an output port when the authentication routine fails to authenticate the software code.

21. The machine readable medium of claim 19 wherein the machine readable medium provides further instructions, when executed by a machine, that cause the machine to mask an output port when the authentication routine fails to authenticate the software code.

22. The machine readable medium of claim 19 wherein the machine readable medium provides further instructions, when executed by a machine, that cause the machine to prevent execution of the software code in when the authentication routine fails to authenticate the software code.