Method and apparatus for protecting SIMLock information in an electronic device

• US 8,209,550 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gehrmann, Christian Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US11/962,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20090007275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/48 using secure binding, e.g. securely binding identity modules to devices, services or applications

Abstract

The teachings herein present a method and apparatus for protecting usage restriction data that governs usage of an electronic device. A cryptographic circuit supports secure and non-secure accesses. When non-securely accessed, it is operable only to verify the stored usage restriction data, and, when securely accessed, it is operable to generate a new message authentication code for changed usage restriction data, for subsequent authentication of that data. The usage restriction data may be stored in non-secure memory and may include static and dynamic parts. One or more embodiments include a secure circuit indicating whether the device has been initialized. The cryptographic circuit outputs a message authentication code for the static part using a permanent device key from the secure circuit, only if the device has not been initialized, and outputs a message authentication code for the dynamic part as needed to support authorized changes to the dynamic part.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a non-secure first memory for storing usage restriction data including;

static usage restriction data comprising one or more authorization keys, each said key governing a corresponding device usage restriction setting;

dynamic usage restriction data comprising said device usage restriction settings, with changes to each said restriction setting governed by the corresponding authorization key;

a first message authentication code for authenticating said static usage restriction data; and

a second message authentication code for authenticating said dynamic usage restriction data;

a secure circuit holding a permanent device key accessible only through a direct connection to the secure circuit, and further holding a one-time programmable initialization indicator;

a cryptographic circuit coupled to said secure circuit via said direction connection, and wherein said cryptographic circuit is configured to obtain said permanent key from said secure circuit for cryptographic processing by said cryptographic circuit but not to make said permanent key available to any other circuitry in said electronic device; and

a system processor configured to selectively operate in a secure mode for securely accessing said cryptographic circuit, and in non-secure mode for non-securely accessing said cryptographic circuit; and

wherein said cryptographic circuit is configured to;

permanently lock said static usage restriction data to said electronic device by generating said first message authentication code only one time, in conjunction with being accessed in said secure mode at a time when said electronic device is un-initialized as indicated by said initialization indicator, wherein said cryptographic circuit generates said first message authentication code as a function of said permanent key and said static usage restriction data, for storage by said system processor in said first memory and then directs said secure circuit to permanently set said initialization indicator to an initialized state; and

when accessed in a secure state after initialization of said electronic device, allow an authorized user to change one or more of said restriction settings governing usage of said electronic device, based on said cryptographic circuit verifying said static usage restriction data via said first message authentication code, and then generating a new second message authentication code as a function of any updated restriction settings and said permanent key, and providing said new second message authentication code to said system processor, for replacing said second message authentication code currently stored in said first memory.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the system processor is configured to start in the secure mode responsive to a reset and to periodically serve a secure watchdog timer, at least in part by authenticating the stored usage restriction data and checking it against Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) settings for the electronic device, said secure watchdog timer configured to reset the system processor unless periodically served by the system processor operating in the secure mode.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the secure circuit includes a plurality of one-time programmable elements and wherein a subset of the plurality of one-time programmable elements are configured to record the permanent device key as a secret key accessible to the cryptographic circuit.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the cryptographic circuit is operable, when securely accessed, to generate and output said new second message authentication code for the dynamic usage restriction data for storage in the first memory as the second stored message authentication code responsive to secure commands provided to it via secure access by the system processor, thereby enabling later authentication of authorized changes made to the dynamic part of the stored usage restriction data.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the stored usage restriction data comprises Subscriber Identity Module Lock information, and wherein the cryptographic circuit is configured to generate and output a first message authentication code for the static usage restriction data only as part of securely initializing the electronic device, such that no changes to the static usage restriction data will ever be authenticated by the cryptographic circuit, and wherein the cryptographic circuit is configured, as part of authorized changing of the dynamic usage restriction data, to generate and output a new second message authentication code for new dynamic usage restriction data, to allow subsequent authentication by said cryptographic circuit of authorized changes to the dynamic usage restriction data.

6. A method of protecting usage restriction data that governs usage of an electronic device comprising:

storing said usage restriction data in a non-secure memory of the electronic device as static usage restriction data that can never be changed once the electronic device has been initialized, and further as dynamic usage restriction data that can be changed by an authorized user after the electronic device has been initialized, wherein said static usage restriction data comprises one or more authorization keys, each governing a corresponding one of one or more usage restriction settings comprising said dynamic usage restriction data;

further storing in said non-secure memory first and second message authentication codes, for authenticating said static and dynamic usage restriction data, respectively, as a prerequisite for allowing normal operation of said electronic device;

generating said first message authentication code as a function of said static usage restriction data and a permanent device key that is accessible only to a cryptographic circuit included in said electronic device, and restricting generation of said first message authentication code to occur only once, when said electronic device undergoes an authorized one-time initialization in a secure mode, so that any changes to said static usage restriction data after said authorized one-time initialization will cause an authorization failure that prevents normal operation of said electronic device; and

generating, via said cryptographic circuit, a new second message authentication code as a function of new dynamic usage restriction data, in response to being so commanded by an authorized user accessing said secure device in a secure mode, and correspondingly storing said new second message authentication code in said non-secure memory in conjunction with said new dynamic usage restriction data, thereby allowing said authorized user to make changes to one or more of said usage restriction settings after device initialization; and

restricting said electronic device from entering a normal operation mode for use by an end user by requiring, as part of secure startup operations of said electronic device, authentication by said cryptographic circuit of said static usage restriction data according to said first message authentication code, both as stored in said non-secure memory, and further authentication by said cryptographic circuit of said dynamic usage restriction data according to said second message authentication code, both as stored in said non-secure memory.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising operating in the secure mode and in the non-secure mode based on a system processor of the electronic device dynamically changing between the secure and the non-secure modes of operation, and making authorized modification of the dynamic usage restriction data stored in said non-secure memory via execution by the system processor of secure program instructions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing the secure program instructions in a secure memory, said secure memory accessible by the system processor operating in the secure mode.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the system processor is configured to start in the secure mode responsive to a reset and to periodically serve a secure watchdog timer, at least in part by authenticating the stored usage restriction data and checking it against Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) settings for the electronic device, and further comprising configuring said secure watchdog timer to reset the system processor unless periodically served by the system processor operating in the secure mode, to thereby force authentication of said stored usage restriction data.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising indicating whether the electronic device has been initialized via a one-time programmable element included within the secure circuit.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing the permanent device key within the secure circuit via a plurality of additional one-time programmable elements.