Hardware-based device authentication

• US 8,850,543 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Von Bokern, Vincent Edward, Goel, Purushottam, Schrecker, Sven, Smith, Ned McArthur
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMITOSKI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/726,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 646 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/7
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2255 Hash tables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0877 using additional device, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard, USB or hardware security module [HSM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity

Abstract

An opportunity for a computing device to participate in a secure session with a particular domain is identified. A domain identifier of the particular domain is received and a secured microcontroller of the computing device is used to identify a secured, persistent hardware identifier of the computing device stored in secured memory of the computing device. A secure identifier is derived for a pairing of the computing device and the particular domain based on the hardware identifier and domain identifier of the particular domain and the secure identifier is transmitted over a secured channel to the particular domain. The particular domain can verify identity of the computing device from the secure identifier and apply security policies to transactions involving the computing device and the particular domain based at least in part on the secure identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying an opportunity for a computing device to participate in a secure session with a particular domain;

receiving a domain identifier of the particular domain;

identifying, using a secured microcontroller of the computing device, a secured, persistent hardware identifier of the computing device stored in secured memory of the computing device, wherein the secured microcontroller is independent of an operating system of the computing device and values of secure identifiers derived by the secured microcontroller are hidden from the operating system;

deriving a secure identifier for a pairing of the computing device and the particular domain based on the hardware identifier and domain identifier of the particular domain; and

transmitting the secure identifier over a secured channel to the particular domain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein secured memory is flash memory of the secured microcontroller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the value of the secure identifier is derived by the secured microcontroller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure identifier is a unique identifier within a system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to reset the hardware identifier;

resetting the hardware identifier; and

deriving a replacement hardware identifier, wherein the replacement hardware identifier is a secured, persistent identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the secure identifier is a first secure identifier, the method further comprising:

identifying an opportunity for the computing device to participate in a secure session with the particular domain following the reset;

deriving a second secure identifier for the pairing of the computing device and the particular domain based on the replacement hardware identifier and the domain identifier of the particular domain, wherein the second secure identifier is different from the first secure identifier; and

communicating the second secure identifier to the particular domain.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure identifier is a first secure identifier, the method further comprising:

identifying an opportunity for the computing device to participate in a secure session with a second domain;

receiving a domain identifier of the second domain;

deriving a second secure identifier for a pairing of the computing device and the second domain based on the hardware identifier and the domain identifier of the second domain, wherein the second secure identifier is different from the first secure identifier; and

transmitting the second secure identifier over a secured channel to the second domain.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating security posture data over the secured channel, the security posture data describing attributes of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.

10. A method comprising:

identifying an opportunity for a secure session between a particular domain and a client device, wherein the secure session is based, at least in part, on identity verification of the client device;

communicating a domain identifier of the particular domain to the client device;

receiving a secure identifier from the client device, wherein the secure identifier is a unique identifier for the client device corresponding to a pairing of the client device and the particular domain and derived based on a persistent, private identifier embedded in hardware of the client device, wherein the secure identifier is derived by a secured microcontroller of the client device independent of an operating system of the client device and values of secure identifiers derived by the secured microcontroller are hidden from the operating system; and

applying security policies for transactions involving the client device and the particular domain based at least in part on the secure identifier.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising associating the secure identifier with a profile in a plurality of profiles in the domain.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the secure identifier corresponds to an existing profile in the plurality of profiles.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the secure identifier is determined to be new and associating the secure identifier with a profile includes generating the profile.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the domain identifier is communicated in association with a domain certificate used to authenticate the domain at the client device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising establishing an encrypted communication channel between the domain and a secured microcontroller of the client device, wherein the secure identifier is received over the encrypted communication channel.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving security posture data from the client device over the encrypted communication channel, the security posture data describing attributes of the client device and stored in secured memory of the client device;

associating the security posture data with the secure identifier; and

identifying the security policies based on the security posture data.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the secure identifier is derived based on both the private identifier and domain identifier.

18. At least one non-transitory machine accessible storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed on a machine, cause the machine to:

identify an opportunity for a computing device to participate in a secure session with a particular domain;

receive a domain identifier of the particular domain;

identify, using a secured microcontroller of the computing device, a secured, persistent hardware identifier of the computing device stored in secured memory of the computing device, wherein the secured microcontroller is independent of an operating system of the computing device and values of secure identifiers derived by the secured microcontroller are hidden from the operating system;

derive a secure identifier for a pairing of the computing device and the particular domain based on the hardware identifier and domain identifier of the particular domain; and

send the secure identifier over a secured channel to the particular domain.

19. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein secured memory comprises flash memory of the secured microcontroller.

20. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein the value of the secure identifier is derived by the secured microcontroller.

21. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein the domain identifier is to be received in a domain certificate of the particular domain.

22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein the domain certificate is to be received in connection with a negotiation of a key exchange protocol used in establishing the secured channel.

23. The storage medium of claim 22, wherein the key exchange protocol comprises a SIGMA protocol.

24. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the machine to authenticate the domain based on a verification of the domain certificate.

25. The storage medium of claim 24, wherein authentication of the domain permits derivation of the secure identifier.

26. The storage medium of claim 24, wherein authenticating the domain includes authenticating a domain manager communicating with the management microcontroller.

27. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein the hardware ID is derived based on a permanent fuse key identifier for the computing device.

28. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein the hardware ID is to survive a system wipe.

29. At least one non-transitory machine accessible storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed on a machine, cause the machine to:

identify an opportunity for a secure session between a particular domain and a client device, wherein the secure session is based, at least in part, on identity verification of the client device;

send a domain identifier of the particular domain to the client device;

receive a secure identifier from the client device, wherein the secure identifier is a unique identifier for the client device corresponding to a pairing of the client device and the particular domain and derived based on a persistent, private identifier embedded in hardware of the client device, wherein the secure identifier is derived by a secured microcontroller of the client device independent of an operating system of the client device and values of secure identifiers derived by the secured microcontroller are hidden from the operating system; and

apply security policies for transactions involving the client device and the particular domain based at least in part on the secure identifier.

30. A system comprising:

a system processor device;

system memory accessible to the system processor device;

a management controller of a computing device, the management controller comprising;

secure management controller memory isolated from the system processor and system memory and storing a secured, persistent hardware identifier;

a management microcontroller adapted to execute instructions to;

identify an opportunity to participate in a secure session with a particular domain;

receive a domain identifier of the particular domain;

derive a secure identifier for a pairing of the computing device and the particular domain based on the hardware identifier and domain identifier of the particular domain; and

cause the secure identifier to be sent over a secured channel to the particular domain.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising a domain manager of a particular domain, the domain manager adapted to:

send the domain identifier to the computing device;

receive the secure identifier from the computing device over the secured channel; and

apply security policies to the computing device during the secure session with the particular domain based at least in part on the secure identifier.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the instructions are stored in the management controller memory.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the instructions comprise an applet loaded to the management microcontroller at runtime.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the management controller memory stores security posture data and the management controller is adapted to cause the security posture data to be communicated to the particular domain over the secured channel.