METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING SECURITY STATE TRANSITIONS

• US 20120204254A1
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Voss, Joel D.
• Application Number:
  US13/021,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20120204254A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/18
• 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 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing security state transitions within a device is provided herein. During operation a security token will indicate whether or not a device is operating in a secured or unsecured state. The security token controls whether or not image validation will take place and if access to security critical resources is allowed. When a switch to a non secure state is made, the security token will be eliminated and blocked from recreation in the non-secure state, thus preventing non-secure code from spoofing a secure state indication. In the non-secure state, image validation is bypassed and the non-secure code is allowed to execute. Once a switch back to a secure state takes place, the secure token is recreated and all images on the device are analyzed to determine if they are approved.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

operating in a secure state;

determining that a transition to an unsecure state has taken place;

erasing a token when it is determined that the transition to the unsecured state has taken place, wherein the token is utilized to indicate a secure state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein is the token is signed and encrypted with a secure key.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of restricting access to the secure key when it is determined that the transition to the unsecured state has taken place.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining that a transition to a secure state is taking place;

validating images existing in storage;

creating the token when it is determined that the images have been validated.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

allowing access to the secure key when it has been determined that the images have been validated.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of creating the token comprises the step of creating the token with a random number.

7. A method comprising the steps of:

booting a device;

determining if a security token is present;

allowing only approved images to be stored and executed on the device, and allowing security dependent features to be fully operational when it has been determined that the security token is present; and

allowing non-approved images to be stored and executed on the device, and not allowing security dependent features to be fully operational when it has been determined that the security token is not present.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the token is signed.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of restricting access to the secure key when it is determined that the security token is not present.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the token is created with a random number.

11. An apparatus comprising:

memory storing a token;

a processor determining that a transition to an unsecure state has taken place, and erasing the token when it is determined that the transition to the unsecured state has taken place.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein is the token is signed.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor restricts access to the secure key when it is determined that the transition to the unsecured state has taken place.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the processor determines that a transition to a secure state is taking place, validates images existing in storage, and creates the token when it is determined that the images have been validated.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processor allows access to the secure key when the images have been validated.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the token is created with a random number.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing a token;

a processor executing the steps of;

determining if a security token is present;

allowing only approved images to be stored and executed on the device, and allowing security dependent features to be fully operational when it has been determined that the security token is present; and

allowing non-approved images to be stored and executed on the device, and not allowing the security dependent features to be fully operational when it has been determined that the security token is not present.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the token is signed.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processor restricts access to the secure key when it is determined that the security token is not present.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the token is created with a random number.