Method of protecting a password from unauthorized access and data processing unit

• US 8,239,963 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Jennings, David, Barstow, John, Eder, Patrik, Goedecke, Michael, Knight, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Gergiso, Techane
• Application Number:
  US11/861,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 726/27, 713/182
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• 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

Abstract

A method of protecting a password from unauthorized access and a data processing unit are provided. An embodiment of the method of protecting a password from unauthorized access comprises storing data representing at least a portion of a password in a memory, assigning the data to at least one of a plurality of instructions, storing the plurality of instructions as processor executable code in the memory, and preventing read-out of the processor executable code as data from the memory.

Claims

1. Method of protecting a password from unauthorized access, comprising:

providing data representing at least a portion of a password;

embedding the data into at least one of a plurality of instructions wherein the data is embedded into the plurality of instructions such that no data fetch operation is required;

storing the plurality of instructions as processor executable code in the memory; and

preventing read-out of the processor executable code as data from the memory;

wherein the processor executable code includes additional instructions to carry out security related processes.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

allowing read-out of the processor executable code as code to be executed by a processor; and

allowing transfer of the allowably read-out processor executable code to a processor.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein allowing read-out of the processor executable code as code to be executed by a processor includes allowing instruction read accesses accessing the memory or a memory address range where the processor executable code is stored.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one of a plurality of instructions is an immediate instruction.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising executing the processor executable code to retrieve the data representing at least a portion of a password.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein preventing read-out of the processor executable code as data from the memory includes controlling accesses to the memory or to a memory address range where the processor executable code is stored.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein preventing read-out of the processor executable code as data from the memory includes limiting data read accesses accessing the memory or a memory address range where the processor executable code is stored.

8. Method of protecting a password from unauthorized access, comprising:

distributing data representing at least a portion of a password into a plurality of data portions;

embedding each of the data portions with at least one of a plurality of instructions, thereby providing a plurality of instructions with embedded data portions, wherein the data portions are embedded into the plurality of instructions such that no data fetch operation is required;

storing the plurality of instructions with embedded data portions as processor executable code in a memory; and

preventing read-out of the processor executable code as data from the memory;

wherein the processor executable code includes additional instructions to carry out security related processes.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

allowing read-out of the processor executable code as code to be executed by a processor; and

allowing transfer of the allowably read-out processor executable code to a processor.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising executing the processor executable code to retrieve the data representing at least a portion of a password.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising distributing the plurality of instructions with embedded data portions throughout the processor executable code.

12. Data processing unit comprising:

a memory to store data representing at least a portion of a password, the memory further to store a plurality of instructions as processor executable code;

a control unit to embed the data into at least one of the plurality of instructions, wherein the data is embedded into the at least one of the plurality of instructions such that no data fetch operation is required; and

a circuit arrangement to prevent read-out of the processor executable code as data from the memory;

wherein the processor executable code includes additional instructions to carry out security related processes.

13. The data processing unit as recited in claim 12, the circuit arrangement further to allow read-out of the processor executable code as code to be executed by a processor;

and

the circuit arrangement further to allow transfer of the allowably read-out processor executable code to a processor.

14. The data processing unit as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one of a plurality of instructions is an immediate instruction.

15. The data processing unit as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a processor to process instructions and having an instruction input port, the processor further to execute the processor executable code to retrieve the data representing at least a portion of a password when receiving the processor executable code via the instruction input port;

the circuit arrangement further to transfer the allowably read-out processor executable code to the instruction input port of the processor.

16. The data processing unit as recited in claim 12, the circuit arrangement further comprising a bus arrangement to couple the memory to a processor, the bus arrangement having a bus watching circuit to control accesses to the memory or to a memory address range where the processor executable code is stored.

17. Data processing unit comprising:

a control unit to distribute data representing at least a portion of a password into a plurality of data portions, the control unit further to embed each of the data portions into one of a plurality of instructions thereby providing a plurality of instructions with embedded data portions, wherein the data is embedded into one of the plurality of instructions such that no data fetch operation is required;

a memory to store the plurality of instructions with embedded data portions as processor executable code; and

a circuit arrangement to prevent read-out of the processor executable code as data from the memory;

wherein the processor executable code includes additional instructions to carry out security related processes.

18. The data processing unit as recited in claim 17, the circuit arrangement further to allow read-out of the processor executable code as code to be executed by a processor;

and

the circuit arrangement further to allow transfer of the allowably read-out processor executable code to a processor.

19. The data processing unit as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a processor to process instructions, and having an instruction input port, and further to execute the processor executable code to retrieve the data representing at least a portion of a password when receiving the processor executable code via the instruction input port;

the circuit arrangement further to transfer the allowably read-out processor executable code to the instruction input port of the processor.