Controlled secure code authentication

• US 10,482,255 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Maletsky, Kerry David
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sarker, Sanchit K
• Application Number:
  US15/044,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20170235956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Systems, methods, circuits and computer-readable mediums for controlled secure code authentication are provided. In one aspect, a method performed by a host device includes transmitting a request to a client device, the request including a challenge for a property of a code stored within the client device, receiving a response to the request, the response comprising information associated with the property of the code, verifying correctness of the response based on the received information, and based on the verifying of the correctness of the response, determining that the code is an authorized code.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, from a host device, a request to a client device, the request including a challenge for a property of a code stored within the client device that is to be authorized by the host device, wherein the host device has a security capability greater than the client device and is configured to control secure authorization of the code stored within the client device;

receiving, at the host device, a response to the request, the response comprising information associated with the property of the code, but without receiving a copy of the code from the client device;

verifying, by the host device, correctness of the response based on the received information associated with the property of the code stored within the client device that is to be authorized by the host device and information of an authorized code that is stored in a secure storage associated with the host device before the request is transmitted from the host device to the client device; and

determining, by the host device and based on the verifying of the correctness of the response, that the code stored within the client device is authorized,

wherein the host device comprises the secure storage configured to store the information of the authorized code, and wherein the information of the authorized code comprises at least one of a copy of the authorized code, a digest of the authorized code, a signature of the authorized code, and a message authentication code (MAC) of the authorized code.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the challenge is for a digest of the code,

wherein the response includes the digest of the code, the digest of the code generated by the client device, and

wherein the verifying of the correctness of the response comprises:

obtaining a property of the authorized code based on information of the authorized code stored in a secure storage, the property of the authorized code including one of a digest of the authorized code and a signature of the authorized code; and

validating the digest in the received response based on the obtained property of the authorized code.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the challenge is for one of a digest of the code and a signature of the code,

wherein the response includes the signature of the code, the signature of the code generated by the client device, and

wherein the verifying of the correctness of the response comprises:

obtaining a signature of the authorized code based on information of the authorized code stored in a secure storage; and

validating the signature included in the response based on the obtained signature of the authorized code.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the client device generates the signature of the code based on the digest of the code stored within the client device and a private key stored within the client device, and

wherein the obtaining the signature of the authorized code comprises:

calculating the signature of the authorized code using a digest of the authorized code and a cryptographic key stored in the secure storage and corresponding to the private key.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the request includes a signature of the authorized code, and wherein the verifying correctness of the response comprises:

determining, based on the received information, that the client device validates the generated digest of the code using the signature in the request.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the challenge is for a message authentication code (MAC) of the code,

wherein the response includes the MAC of the code, the MAC of the code generated by the client device based on the code stored within the client device and a shared secret key stored within the client device, and

wherein the verifying correctness of the response comprises:

calculating a MAC of the authorized code based on the authorized code stored in a secure storage and the shared secret key stored in the secure storage; and

validating the MAC of the code in the response based on the calculated MAC of the authorized code.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating a nonce,

wherein the request includes the nonce and the challenge, and

wherein the verifying correctness of the response comprises:

determining that the received information includes information associated with the nonce.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise

selecting a plurality of memory address ranges of the authorized code;

determining a respective portion of the authorized code for each of the plurality memory address ranges;

calculating a respective digest of each determined portion;

storing the respective digests of the portions of the authorized code and the respective memory address ranges in a secure storage; and

associating the respective memory address ranges with the respective digests of the portions in the secure storage.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the challenge includes data indicating a particular memory address range of the memory address ranges,

wherein the response includes a digest of a particular portion of the code generated by the client device based on the particular memory address range included in the challenge, and

wherein the verifying of the correctness of the response comprises:

determining that the digest of the particular portion of the code generated by the client device matches with the digest of the portion of the authorized code corresponding to the particular memory address range.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the code of the client device includes one of:

a boot code configured, when executed, to cause the client device to execute a boot operation, and

an operation code configured, when executed, to cause the client device to perform an operation corresponding to the operation code.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the response includes a MAC of a digest of the code generated by the client device based on the digest generated by the client device and a shared secret key stored within the client device, and

wherein the verifying correctness of the response comprises:

calculating a MAC of a digest of the authorized code based on the authorized code stored in a secure storage and the shared secret key stored in the secure storage; and

validating the MAC of the digest of the code in the response based on the calculated MAC of the digest of the authorized code.

12. A host device controller comprising:

a processor; and

one or more storage media coupled to the processor and storing logic configured to cause the processor, when executed by the processor, to;

transmit a request to a client device, the request including a challenge for a property of a code stored within the client device that is to be authorized by the host device controller, wherein the host device controller has a security capability greater than the client device and is configured to control secure authorization of the code stored within the client device;

receive a response to the request, the response comprising information associated with the property of the code, but without receiving a copy of the code from the client device;

verify correctness of the response based on the received information associated with the property of the code stored within the client device that is to be authorized by the host device and information of an authorized code stored in a secure storage associated with the host device controller before the request is transmitted from the host device to the client device; and

based on the verifying of the correctness of the response, determine that the code stored within the client device is authorized,

wherein the host device controller comprises the secure storage configured to store the information of the authorized code, and wherein the information of the authorized code comprises at least one of a copy of the authorized code, a digest of the authorized code, a signature of the authorized code, and a message authentication code (MAC) of the authorized code.

13. The host device controller of claim 12, wherein the challenge is for a digest of the code,

wherein the response includes the digest of the code, the digest of the code generated by the client device, and

wherein the verification of the correctness of the response comprises:

obtaining a property of the authorized code based on information of the authorized code stored in a secure storage, the property of the authorized code including one of a digest of the authorized code and a signature of the authorized code; and

validating the digest in the received response based on the obtained property of the authorized code.

14. The host device controller of claim 12, wherein the challenge is for one of a digest of the code and a signature of the code,

wherein the response includes the signature of the code, the signature of the code generated by the client device, and

wherein the verification of the correctness of the response comprises:

obtaining a signature of the authorized code based on information of the authorized code stored in a secure storage; and

validating the signature included in the response based on the obtained signature of the authorized code.

15. The host device controller of claim 12, wherein the request includes a signature of the authorized code, and wherein the verification of the correctness of the response comprises:

determining, based on the received information, that the client device validates the generated digest of the code using the signature in the request.

16. The host device controller of claim 12, wherein the challenge is for a message authentication code (MAC) of the code,

wherein the response includes the MAC of the code generated by the client device based on the code stored within the client device and a shared secret key stored within the client device, and

wherein the verification of the correctness of the response comprises:

calculating a MAC of the authorized code based on the authorized code stored in a secure storage and the shared secret key stored in the secure storage; and

validating the MAC of the code in the response based on the calculated MAC of the authorized code.

17. The host device controller of claim 12, wherein the logic is configured to cause the processor to generate a nonce,

wherein the request includes the nonce and the challenge, and

wherein the verification of the correctness of the response comprises:

determining that the received information includes information associated with the nonce.

18. The host device controller of claim 12, wherein the logic is configured to cause the processor to:

select a plurality of memory address ranges of the authorized code;

determine a respective portion of the authorized code for each of the plurality memory address ranges;

calculate a respective digest of each determined portion;

store the respective digests of the portions of the authorized code and the respective memory address ranges in a secure storage; and

associate the respective memory address ranges with the respective digests of the portions in the secure storage.

19. The host device controller of claim 18, wherein the challenge includes data indicating a particular memory address range of the memory address ranges,

wherein the response includes a digest of a particular portion of the code generated by the client device based on the particular memory address range included in the challenge, and

wherein the verification of the correctness of the response comprises:

determining that the digest of the particular portion of the code generated by the client device matches with the digest of the portion of the authorized code having the particular memory address range.

20. The host device controller of claim 12, wherein the logic is configured to cause the processor to:

transmit a plurality of requests to a plurality of client devices, respectively, each request comprising a respective challenge for a property of a respective code of a respective client device;

receive a particular response to a particular request, the particular response comprising an identifier of a particular client device and information associated with a property of a particular code of the particular client device, the information being generated by the client device based on the particular code stored within the particular client device;

verify correctness of the particular response based on information of a particular authorized code associated with the identifier stored in a secure storage; and

based on verifying correctness of the response, determine that the particular code stored within the particular client device is the particular authorized code.

21. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a host device, a request to a client device, the request including a challenge for a property of a code stored within the client device that is to be authorized by the host device, wherein the host device has a security capability greater than the client device and is configured to control secure authorization of the code stored within the client device;

receiving, by the host device, a response to the request, the response comprising information associated with the property of the code, but without receiving a copy of the code from the client device;

verifying, by the host device, correctness of the response based on the received information associated with the property of the code stored within the client device that is to be authorized by the host device and information of an authorized code stored in a secure storage associated with the host device before the request is transmitted from the host device to the client device; and

based on the verifying of the correctness of the response, determining, by the host device, that the code stored within the client device is authorized,

wherein the host device comprises the secure storage configured to store the information of the authorized code, and wherein the information of the authorized code comprises at least one of a copy of the authorized code, a digest of the authorized code, a signature of the authorized code, and a message authentication code (MAC) of the authorized code.