In one embodiment, a multicore processor includes cores that can independently execute instructions, each at an independent voltage and frequency. The processor may include a power controller having logic to provide for configurability of power management features of the processor. One such feature enables at least one core to operate at an independent performance state based on a state of a single power domain indicator present in a control register. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Configuring power management functionality in a processor

A method and system are provided for authenticating and securing an embedded device using a secure boot procedure and a full non-volatile memory encryption process that implements Elliptic Curve Pinstov-Vanstone Signature (ECPV) scheme with message recovery on a personalized BIOS and master boot record. The signature includes code that is recovered in order to unlock a key that is in turn used to decrypt the non-volatile memory. The use of ECPVS provides an implicit verification that the hardware is bound to the BIOS since the encrypted memory is useless unless properly decrypted with the proper key.

System and method for authenticating a gaming device

A mechanism that allows firmware to be updated in a secure manner is discussed. Two attributes are used in the actual ROM to refer to a Virtual ROM module. The two attributes are a version attribute and a reference to a separate module that is capable of validating updates. The update process updates the message digest associated with the first Virtual ROM module and the version attribute associated with the first Virtual ROM module. The update process also produces a new copy of the corresponding file (that may be located on the local disk) that when hashed will “match” the new message digest.

System and method for updating firmware in a secure manner

Methods and apparatuses for re-instantiating a firmware environment that includes one or more firmware functions available at pre-boot time when transitioning the computing device from a first, higher power consumption state to a second, lower power consumption state. The firmware environment determines whether a cryptographic signature on a firmware volume is verified; whether hardware resources of the computing device requested by a manifest of the firmware volume are available; and whether a firmware module of the firmware volume is compatible with installed firmware of the firmware environment. If so, the firmware environment reserves space in a memory to accommodate resources used by the firmware module, and executes the firmware module with the computing device in the second, lower power consumption state.

Method of provisioning firmware in an operating system (os) absent services environment

Methods and apparatus to provide an execution mode transition are disclosed. One example method includes receiving in an operating system runtime environment a firmware code update to be implemented in a multiprocessor system, storing the firmware code update, and issuing an interprocessor interrupt to each processor of the multiprocessor system. The method further includes storing state information for each processor of the multiprocessor system, transitioning from an operating system runtime environment to a pre-operating system environment, and implementing the firmware code update in the pre-operating system environment. The state information is then read and restored to each processor to transition from the pre-operating system environment to an operating system runtime environment.

Methods and apparatus to provide an execution mode transition

A system includes a processor, a memory including a basic input/output system (BIOS) in flash memory that includes digital signature verification, and a BIOS update installation process, and a medium containing a BIOS update file. The BIOS update file includes a signed data portion having a volume header, signed data and executable update code to configure the signed data with data in an unsigned data portion, and a digital signature.

BIOS update file

This disclosure is directed to continuation of trust for platform boot firmware. A device may comprise a processing module and a memory module including read-only memory (ROM) on which is stored platform boot firmware. On activation, the processing module may load the platform boot firmware. The platform boot firmware may cause the processing module to first load a trusted pre-verifier file to load and verify the signature of a hash table loaded from the platform boot firmware. The processing module may then load firmware program files from the platform boot firmware, calculate a hash for each file, and verify whether each program hash is in the hash table. Firmware program files with hashes in the hash table may be allowed to execute. If any firmware program file hash is not in the hash table, the processing module may perform platform specific security actions to prevent the device from being compromised.

Continuation of trust for platform boot firmware

According to one embodiment of the invention, an integrated circuit device at least one compute engine and a control unit. Coupled to the compute engine(s), the control unit is adapted to dynamically control an energy-efficient operating setting of at least one power management parameter for the integrated circuit device after execution of Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) has already completed.

System, Method and Apparatus for Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation by Configuring Power Management Parameters During Run Time

An embodiment includes an apparatus comprising: an out-of-band cryptoprocessor coupled to secure non-volatile storage; and at least one storage medium having firmware instructions stored thereon for causing, during runtime and after an operating system for the apparatus has booted, the cryptoprocessor to (a) store a key within the secure non-volatile storage, (b) sign an object with the key, while the key is within the cryptoprocessor, to produce a signature, and (c) verify the signature. Other embodiments are described herein.

Management of authenticated variables

Embodiments related to hardware configuration reporting and arbitration are disclosed herein. For example, an apparatus for hardware configuration reporting may include: a processing device having a trusted execution environment (TEE) and a non-trusted execution environment (non-TEE); request service logic, stored in the memory, to operate within the TEE to receive an indication of a request from arbiter logic, wherein the request represents a hardware configuration register; and reporting logic, stored in the memory, to operate within the TEE and to report an indicator of a value of the hardware configuration register represented by the request to the arbiter logic. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Nicholas J. Adams

Papers

BIOS update file

Continuation of trust for platform boot firmware

System, Method and Apparatus for Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation by Configuring Power Management Parameters During Run Time

Management of authenticated variables

Hardware configuration reporting systems