Intel Corporation

Carl M Ellison

James A Sutton, Ii

Gilbert A Neiger

Francis X Mckeen

Shreekant S Thakkar

Howard C Herbert

Roger A Golliver

Derrick Chu Lin

Ken Reneris

Millind Mittal

Gary L Graunke

David W Grawrock

Michael S Ripley

Brendan Traw

Stephen H Dohrmann

Milland Mittal

Vincent J Zimmer

Michael A Rothman

Andrew J Fish

Mark Doran

Roger A Hurwitz

Edward C Epp

Tim M Carver

Protected content distribution is accomplished by a first entity generating a set of asymmetric key pairs, creating a plurality of sets of private keys by selecting a combination of private keys from the set of asymmetric key pairs for each created set, and distributing the sets of private keys to playback devices. A second entity produces protected content including encrypted content and a public key media key block, encrypts a symmetric content key with each public key in the set of asymmetric key pairs to form the public key media key block and encrypts a content title with the symmetric content key to form the encrypted content. A playback device stores one set of private keys, receives the protected content, and decrypts and plays the content title stored in the protected content when a selected one of the set of private keys stored by the playback device successfully decrypts the encrypted symmetric content key stored in the public key media key block of the received protected content.

Public key media key block

In one embodiment, a method for utilizing a pseudonym to protect the identity of a platform and its user is described. The method comprises producing a pseudonym that includes a public pseudonym key. The public pseudonym key is placed in a certificate template. Hash operations are performed on the certificate template to produce a certificate hash value, which is transformed from the platform. Thereafter, a signed result is returned to the platform. The signed result is a digital signature for the transformed certificate hash value. Upon performing an inverse transformation of the signed result, a digital signature of the certificate hash value is recovered. This digital signature may be used for data integrity checks for subsequent communications using the pseudonym.

Platform and method for establishing provable identities while maintaining privacy

A processing system has a processor that can operate in a normal ringoperating mode and one or more higher ring operating modes above the normal ringoperating mode. In addition, the processor can operate in an isolated execution mode. A memory in the processing system may include an ordinary memory area that can be accessed from the normal ringoperating mode, as well as an isolated memory area that can be accessed from the isolated execution mode but not from the normal ringoperating mode. The processing system may also include an operating system (OS) nub, as well as a key generator. The key generator may generate an OS nub key (OSNK) based at least in part on an identification of the OS nub and a master binding key (BK) of the platform. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Protecting software environment in isolated execution

Methods and apparatus to provide secure firmware storage and service access are disclosed. One example method may include receiving a request to execute an instruction in a pre-boot environment, determining an identity of the instruction, determining if an access control list includes an entry corresponding to the instruction, and selectively allowing the execution of the instruction if the access control list includes an entry corresponding to the instruction.

Methods and apparatus to provide secure firmware storage and service access

In one embodiment, a method of attestation involves a special mode of operation. The method comprises storing an audit log within protected memory of a platform. The audit log is a listing of data representing one or more software modules loaded into the platform. The audit log is retrieved from the protected memory in response to receiving an attestation request. Then, the retrieved audit log is digitally signed to produce a digital signature in response to the attestation request.

Platform and method for remote attestation of a platform

A method for key verification through time varying item presentation based on a key hash result comprises generating a key hash result partially based on both a global identifier provided from a source and an estimated current time at that source. After generating the key hash result, a first time-varying item is produced using the key hash result as an index for a table lookup or generated based on Certain bit patterns forming the key hash result. Thereafter, the first time-varying item is presented for comparison with a second time-varying item being contemporaneously presented at the source. These computations are repeated, giving the impression of two views or instances of the same time-varying item. An attacker might be able to match one small portion of such a time sequence of presentations, by luck, but not any large portion of the sequence.

Time varying presentation of items based on a key hash

In one embodiment, a method for sensory verification comprises exchanging at least one data item with a computing unit and selecting a sequence number. Such selection may be accomplished by generation of the sequence number or manual entry by the user. Thereafter, a transformation is periodically performed on the data item, the sequence number and optionally a random value to produce a sequence of values, each value being used to produce a perceivable sensory element for comparison with another sensory element produced by another computing unit.

Sensory verification of shared data

In an embodiment of the present invention, a technique is provided for remote attestation. An interface maps a device via a bus to an address space of a chipset in a secure environment for an isolated execution mode. The secure environment is associated with an isolated memory area accessible by at least one processor. The at least one processor operates in one of a normal execution mode and the isolated execution mode. A communication storage corresponding to the address space allows the device to exchange security information with the at least one processor in the isolated execution mode in a remote attestation.

Attestation key memory device and bus

A stream cipher is provided with a first and a second data bit generators to generate in parallel a first and a second stream of data bits. The stream cipher is further provided with a combiner function having a shuffling unit including a storage structure to generate a pseudo random sequence, by combining the first stream of data bits with at least stochastically generated past values of the first streams of data bits, generated by using the second stream of data bits to stochastically operate the storage structure of the shuffle unit to memorize and reproduce the data bits of the first stream.

Stream cipher having a combiner function with storage based shuffle unit

The present invention is a method and apparatus to generates an isolated bus cycle for a transaction in a processor. A configuration storage contains configuration parameters to configure a processor in one of a normal execution mode and an isolated execution mode. An access generator circuit generates an isolated access signal using at least one of the isolated area parameters and access information in the transaction. The isolated access signal is asserted when the processor is configured in the isolated execution mode. A bus cycle decoder generates an isolated bus cycle corresponding to a destination in the transaction using the asserted isolated access signal and the access information.

Generating isolated bus cycles for isolated execution

A file is sent to a remote signing authority via a network. The signing authority checks the file and provides a signature indicating file integrity of the file. The signature returned from the signing authority via the network is verified.

File checking using remote signing authority via a network

In one embodiment, a method comprises configuring an access transaction generated by a processor by a configuration storage containing configuration parameters. The processor has a normal execution mode and an isolated execution mode. The access transaction has access information. In a further embodiment, a method comprises checking the access transaction by an access checking circuit using at least one of the configuration parameters and the access information.

Managing accesses in a processor for isolated execution

A chipset is initialized in a secure environment for an isolated execution mode by an initialization storage. The secure environment has a plurality of executive entities and is associated with an isolated memory area accessible by at least one processor. The at least one processor has a plurality of threads and operates in one of a normal execution mode and the isolated execution mode. The executive entities include a processor executive (PE) handler. PE handler data corresponding to the PE handler are stored in a PE handler storage. The PE handler data include a PE handler image to be loaded into the isolated memory area after the chipset is initialized. The loaded PE handler image corresponds to the PE handler.

Managing a secure environment using a chipset in isolated execution mode

The present invention is a method and apparatus to protect a subset of a software environment. A key generator generates an operating system nub key (OSNK). The OSNK is unique to an operating system (OS) nub. The OS nub is part of an operating system in a secure platform. A usage protector uses the OSNK to protect usage of a subset of the software environment.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Carl M Ellison