Cryptographically signed filesystem

• US 7,409,546 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Platt, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HENEGHAN, MATTHEW E
• Application Number:
  US10/189,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 713/165
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1417 Boot up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A cryptographically signed filesystem provides a central database resident on a server that contains database objects. The server creates startup software to be installed in a client system'"'"'s read only memory. The startup software contains a hash value for a second stage loader. The server also creates software for a bootstrap loader object which typically contains the operating system for a client system and also the bootstrap loader'"'"'s hash value and a digital signature that is unique to the server. A root filesystem object is also created containing operational code and data for the client system'"'"'s functionality. A hash table file is stored in the bootstrap loader that contains the names of each file in the root filesystem along with their corresponding hash values. The startup software and objects created by the server are initially installed on a client device at the time of manufacture. The client performs a staged bootup sequence that confirms that the hash value is correct for each of the objects before they are executed. The digital signature of the bootstrap loader is verified. If a hash value or digital signature is incorrect, the client device is disabled or the file deleted or replaced. The server can update a client'"'"'s bootstrap loader and root filesystem at any time through the transmission of slices.

Claims

1. A process for a cryptographically signed filesystem that ensures that authorized software and data are used by a digital video recorder (DVR), comprising the steps of:

confirming a hash value of a bootstrap code on a persistent storage device on said DVR;

disabling said DVR when said hash value is not confirmed;

extracting and verifying a digital signature of said bootstrap code if said hash value is confirmed;

transferring control to said bootstrap code when said digital signature is verified;

disabling said DVR when said digital signature is not verified;

scanning each file in a root filesystem on said persistent storage device to validate that each file name and hash value of each file matches an entry in a hash table file; and

automatically replacing a file by said scanning step that said scanning step has found does not correctly match an entry in said hash table file with a valid backup file from said persistent storage device.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

executing, upon bootup of said DVR, a startup software resident in read only memory on said DVR;

wherein said startup software verifies a hash value of a second stage loader software;

transferring control to said second stage loader when said second stage loader'"'"'s hash value is valid;

disabling said DVR when said second stage loader'"'"'s hash value is not valid; and

wherein said second stage loader confirms the hash value of said bootstrap code.

3. The process of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a hash value for said second stage loader; and

storing said calculated hash value as part of said startup software in said read only memory on said DVR.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein said hash table file is stored on said persistent storage device and contains valid hash values for each file in said root filesystem.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein if any files in said root filesystem are found to be invalid, then the invalid files are deleted.

6. The process of claim 4, wherein if any files in said root filesystem are found to be invalid, then the invalid files are replaced with valid copies.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a hash value for said bootstrap code on a server;

creating a digital signature for said bootstrap code on said server; and

storing said bootstrap hash value and said bootstrap digital signature as part of said bootstrap code.

8. The process of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

updating said DVR with said bootstrap code from said server.

9. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

creating a hash table file on a server;

calculating a hash value on said server for each file in said root filesystem;

entering each file'"'"'s file name and hash value in said root filesystem into said hash table file; and

incorporating said hash table file into said bootstrap code.

10. The process of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

updating said DVR with said bootstrap code and said root filesystem from said server.

11. An apparatus for a cryptographically signed filesystem that ensures that authorized software and data are used by a digital video recorder (DVR), comprising:

a persistent storage device on said DVR;

a bootstrap code on said persistent storage device;

a module for confirming a hash value of said bootstrap code;

a disabling module that disables said DVR when said hash value is not confirmed by said confirming module;

a module for extracting and verifying a digital signature of said bootstrap code if said hash value is confirmed;

wherein said extracting and verifying module transfers control to said bootstrap code when said digital signature is verified by said extracting and verifying module;

a disabling module that disables said DVR when said digital signature is not verified by said extracting and verifying module;

a module for scanning each file in a root filesystem on said persistent storage device to validate that each file name and hash value of each file matches an entry in a hash table file; and

wherein said scanning module automatically replaces a file that said scanning module does not correctly match an entry in said hash table file with a valid backup file from said persistent storage device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a startup module resident in read only memory on said DVR;

wherein said startup module is executed upon bootup of said DVR;

a second stage loader module;

wherein said startup module verifies a hash value of said second stage loader;

wherein said startup module transfers control to said second stage loader when said second stage loader'"'"'s hash value is valid; and

a disabling module that disables said DVR when said second stage loader'"'"'s hash value is not valid.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a module for calculating a hash value for said second stage loader; and

a module for storing said calculated hash value as part of said startup software in said read only memory on said DVR.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said hash table file is stored on said persistent storage device and contains valid hash values for each file in said root filesystem.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein if any files in said root filesystem are found to be invalid, then said performing a scan module deletes the invalid files.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein if any files in said root filesystem are found to be invalid, then said performing a scan module replaces invalid files with valid copies.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a module for calculating a hash value for said bootstrap code on a server;

a module for creating a digital signature for said bootstrap code on said server; and

a module for storing said bootstrap hash value and said bootstrap digital signature as part of said bootstrap code.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a module for updating said DVR with said bootstrap code from said server.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a module for creating a hash table file on a server;

a module for calculating a hash value for each file in said root filesystem on said server;

a module for entering each file'"'"'s file name and hash value in said root filesystem into said hash table file; and

a module for incorporating said hash table file into said bootstrap code.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a module for updating said DVR with said bootstrap code and said root filesystem from said server.