Secure booting method and mobile terminal for the same

• US 7,885,647 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Cho, Sung-Goo, Jeong, Gi-Bong
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US11/513,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 455404-406, 455410-411, 455418-419, 380/240, 370/338, 370/401, 711/152, 717/168, 717/173, 717/174, 713/2, 713/168
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

A secure booting method for a mobile terminal comprising: checking configuration information stored in a non-volatile memory embedded in the mobile terminal to determine whether the configuration information is effective when the mobile terminal is booted, connecting the mobile terminal with a host to copy a downloader and a downloader certificate from the host when it is determined that the configuration information is not effective, performing authentication of the copied downloader using the downloader certificate and an authentication key stored in the mobile terminal, and downloading a program stored in the host to the non-volatile memory using the downloader when the downloader is authenticated.

Claims

1. A secure booting method for a mobile terminal, the secure booting method comprising:

checking whether configuration information is stored in a non-volatile memory in the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is booted;

determining whether the configuration information is effective;

connecting the mobile terminal with a host to copy a downloader and a downloader certificate from the host when the checking determines that the configuration information is not stored in the non-volatile memory or the determining determines that the configuration information is not effective;

performing authentication of the copied downloader using the downloader certificate and an authentication key stored in the mobile terminal; and

downloading a program stored in the host to the non-volatile memory by using the downloader when the downloader is authenticated.

2. The secure booting method of claim 1, wherein the connecting of the mobile terminal with the host to copy the downloader certificate comprises copying the downloader certificate comprising a first customer public key provided by a manufacturer of the mobile terminal, a first signature for the first customer public key, and a signature for the downloader.

3. The secure booting method of claim 2, wherein the performing of the authentication of the copied downloader comprises:

performing authentication of the first customer public key using the authentication key and the first signature for the first customer public key; and

performing authentication of the downloader using the first customer public key and the signature for the downloader.

4. The secure booting method of claim 1, wherein the downloading of the program comprises downloading the program including configuration information about the non-volatile memory and a certificate.

5. The secure booting method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the mobile terminal is connected with the host when the mobile terminal is rebooted; and

performing authentication of the certificate using the authentication key when-the mobile terminal has not been determined to be connected with the host.

6. The secure booting method of claim 5, wherein the downloading of the program further comprises downloading the program including an application code, and the certificate comprising information for authentication of the application code, a second customer public key provided by a manufacturer of the mobile terminal, information for preventing change of identification information for identifying the mobile terminal, information indicating a storage position of the identification information, a second signature for the second customer public key, and a signature for the certificate.

7. The secure booting method of claim 6, wherein the performing of the authentication of the certificate comprises:

performing authentication of the second customer public key using the authentication key and the second signature for the second customer public key;

performing authentication of the certificate using the signature for the certificate;

performing authentication of the identification information using the information for preventing change of the identification information and the information indicating the storage position of the identification information; and

performing authentication of the application code using the information for the authentication of the application code.

8. The secure booting method of claim 5, further comprising repeating the authentication of the copied downloader and the downloading of the program when the mobile terminal has been determined to be connected with the host.

9. The secure booting method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the mobile terminal has been connected with the host when the configuration information is determined to be effective; and

performing authentication of a certificate in the program stored in the non-volatile memory using the authentication key when he mobile terminal has not been determined to be connected with the host.

10. The secure booting method of claim 9, wherein the downloading of the program further comprises downloading the program comprising an application code, and the certificate comprising information for authentication of the application code, a customer public key provided by a manufacturer of the mobile terminal, information for preventing change of identification information for identifying the mobile terminal, information indicating a storage position of the identification information, a signature for the customer public key, and a signature for the certificate.

11. The secure booting method of claim 10, wherein the performing of the authentication of the certificate comprises:

performing authentication of the customer public key using the authentication key and the signature for the customer public key;

performing authentication of the certificate using the signature for the certificate;

performing authentication of the identification information using the information for preventing change of the identification information and the information indicating the storage position of the identification information; and

performing authentication of the application code using the information for the authentication of the application code.

12. The secure booting method of claim 9, further comprising repeating the authentication of the copied downloader and the downloading of the program the mobile terminal has been determined to be connected with the host.

13. A computer readable recording medium tangibly storing a program for performing the secure booting method of claim 1.

14. A mobile terminal comprising:

a memory storing a first program;

a non-volatile memory; and

a processor to execute the first program,

wherein, according to the program, the processor checks whether configuration information is stored in the non-volatile memory in the mobile terminal and determines whether the configuration information is effective when the mobile terminal is booted;

connects the mobile terminal with a host and copies a downloader and a downloader certificate from the host when the processor determines that the configuration information is not effective;

performs authentication of the copied downloader using the downloader certificate and an authentication key stored in the mobile terminal; and

downloads a second program stored in the host to the non-volatile memory using the downloader when the downloader is authenticated.