METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING A TRUSTABLE OPERATING SYSTEM

• US 20100058075A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: David Grawrock, James A. Sutton, Michael A. Kozuch
• Inventors: Sutton, James A., Kozuch, Michael A., Grawrock, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45587 Isolation or security of virtual machine instances
• 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 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for securing a region in a memory of a computer. According to one embodiment, the method comprises halting of all but one of a plurality of processors in a computer. The halted processors entering into a special halted state. Content is loaded into the region only after the halting of all but the one of the plurality of processors and the region is protected from access by the halted processors. The method further comprises placing the non-halted processor into a known privileged state, and causing the halted processors to exit the halted state after the non-halted processor has been placed into the known privileged state.

Claims

1. A method of securing a region in a memory of a computer comprising:

halting all but one of a plurality of processors in a computer, the halted processors entering into a special halted state;

identifying a region in a memory of a computer;

loading content into the region only after the halting of all but the one of the plurality of processors;

protecting the region from access by the halted processors;

using a signed cryptographic hash of the region to verify whether the content can be trusted; and

placing the non-halted processor into a known privileged state;

causing the halted processors to exit the halted state after the non-halted processor has been placed into the known privileged state.