Programming on-chip non-volatile memory in a secure processor using a sequence number

• US 9,589,154 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Acer Cloud Technology, Inc. (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Pramila, Princen, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Poltorak, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/325,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• 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 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3066 involving algebraic varieties, e.g. elliptic or hyper-elliptic curves
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

An improved secure programming technique involves reducing the size of bits programmed in on-chip secret non-volatile memory, at the same time enabling the typical secure applications supported by secure devices. A technique for secure programming involves de-coupling chip manufacture from the later process of connecting to ticket servers to obtain tickets. A method according to the technique may involve sending a (manufacturing) server signed certificate from the device prior to any communication to receive tickets. A device according to the technique may include chip-internal non-volatile memory to store the certificate along with the private key, in the manufacturing process.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, using a processor, a request for a device certificate;

initializing, using the processor, a state variable in an on-chip writable memory to an initial value in response to a power up event of a device containing the processor;

generating, using the processor and a function of a secret seed random number and a sequence number, a cryptographic key pair;

identifying a key in the cryptographic key pair, the key comprising one of a public key and a private key in the cryptographic key pair;

incrementing, using the processor, the sequence number;

generating, using the processor, a first random number as a function of the key and the state variable;

creating, using the processor, the device certificate based on the first random number and the request for the device certificate, the device certificate being configured to provide a security signature for accessing protected resources by a secure application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing at least a portion of the secure application, the executing using at least a portion of the protected resources.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising clearing the state variable from the on-chip writable memory before a power down event of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the cryptographic key pair comprises using a cryptographically strong encryption algorithm to generate the cryptographic key pair based on the seed random number and the sequence number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first random number comprises instructing, using the processor, a pseudorandom number generator to calculate the first random number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cryptographic key pair comprises an elliptic cryptographic key pair.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-chip writable memory comprises an on-chip non-volatile (NV) memory, and the seed random number is stored on the on-chip NV memory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence number is a stored sequence number included in the on-chip writable memory.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a secure processor, and the method is executed in one or more of a game console having the secure processor, a media player having the secure processor, an embedded secure device having the secure processor, or a digital device having the secure processor.

10. A system, comprising:

an on-chip non-volatile (NV) memory including a secret seed random number;

an on-chip writable memory including a stored sequence number;

a client-side interface associated with a registered client;

a certificate generation module;

wherein, in operation;

the client-side interface is configured to receive a request for a device certificate and to transmit a validated device certificate;

the certificate generation module is configured to;

initialize a state variable in the on-chip writable memory to an initial value in response to a power up event of a device containing the certificate generation module;

generate a cryptographic key pair using a function of the secret seed random number and the sequence number;

identify a key in the cryptographic key pair, the key comprising one of a public key and a private key in the cryptographic key pair;

increment the sequence number;

generate a first random number as a function of the key and the state variable;

create the validated device certificate based on the first random number and the request for the device certificate, the validated device certificate being configured to provide a security signature for accessing protected resources by a secure application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the certificate generation module is configured to facilitate execution of at least a portion of the secure application on the system, the execution using at least a portion of the protected resources.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the certificate generation module is configured to clear the state variable from the on-chip writable memory before a power down event of the device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein, when generating the cryptographic key pair, the certificate generation module is configured to use a cryptographically strong encryption algorithm to generate the cryptographic key pair based on the seed random number and the sequence number.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein, when generating the first random number, the certificate generation module is configured to use a cryptographically strong encryption algorithm to instruct a pseudorandom number generator to calculate the first random number.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the cryptographic key pair comprises an elliptic cryptographic key pair.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the on-chip writable memory comprises an on-chip non-volatile (NV) memory, and the seed random number is stored on the on-chip NV memory.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor comprises a secure processor, and the method is executed in one or more of a game console having the secure processor, a media player having the secure processor, an embedded secure device having the secure processor, or a digital device having the secure processor.

18. A system, comprising:

an on-chip non-volatile (NV) memory including a secret seed random number;

an on-chip writable memory including a stored sequence number;

a client-side interface associated with a registered client;

means for generating a certificate;

wherein, in operation;

the client-side interface is configured to receive a request for a device certificate and to transmit a validated device certificate;

the means for generating the certificate is configured to;

initialize a state variable in the on-chip writable memory to an initial value in response to a power up event of a device containing the certificate generation module;

generate a cryptographic key pair using a function of the secret seed random number and the sequence number;

identify a key in the cryptographic key pair, the key comprising one of a public key and a private key in the cryptographic key pair;

increment the sequence number;

generate a first random number as a function of the key and the state variable;

create the validated device certificate based on the first random number and the request for the device certificate, the validated device certificate being configured to provide a security signature for accessing protected resources by a secure application.