Method of implementing a secure program in a microprocessor card, and a microprocessor card including a secure program

• US 5,894,550 A
• Filed: 01/16/1997
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Soliac (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Thiriet, Fabien
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US08/784,343
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 395/185.07, 395/182.02, 395/182.06, 395/183.05, 395/183.18, 395/186, 711/100, 711/102, 711/103, 711/104, 711/108, 711/163, 711/164, 711/167, 711/173, 711/212, 371/2.2, 371/21.1, 371/40.11, 371/40.4, 371/40.13, 371/40.14, 371/37.05
• US Class Current: 714/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1441 for a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories

Abstract

A program is made secure relative to a CPU by storing in a first memory zone a series of predetermined-address functions that are directly executable by the CPU, by write protecting said first memory zone, and by storing the program in a second memory zone in the form of a series of instructions that are executable within the second memory zone or that activate functions contained in the first memory zone.

Claims

1. A method of implementing in a microprocessor card an operator'"'"'s program that is secure with respect to a CPU connected to a memory including memory zones, the method comprising the following steps:

storing in a first memory zone a series of functions that are directly executable by a CPU as predetermined-address functions;

write-protecting said first memory zone; and

storing the operator'"'"'s program in a second memory zone, said operator'"'"'s program consisting of a series of instructions that are either directly executable by the CPU at the predetermined address solely within the second memory zone or that activate functions executable by the CPU at the predetermined address contained in the first memory zone.

2. A method according to claim 1, including, prior to launching the operator'"'"'s program, a step of verifying that the operator'"'"'s program includes only instructions that are executable within the second memory zone or that activate functions contained in the first memory zone.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the operator'"'"'s program verification is performed on initialization of the card in the time between two series of initialization response bytes.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein after storing the operator'"'"'s program the second memory zone is write protected, at least in part.