Some Ideas about booting security

Some Ideas about booting security

[paradox]

Hello,everyone!

   I am a EE Dr. in trust computing.Our researching
group has modified the grub 0.95 stage 1.5 code to add
functions of Authentication and kernel and initrd's
integrity check (use md5 digest algorithm and an usb
security key),buy it is only a toy.

   I has some ideas on booting security, and want to
try them in grub2. here is a simple introduce:
  
    first, about trust chains in trust machine. a
trust computing machine should has a trust chains from
power on to the system envirment.in the trust chains,
MBR Data should be checked by trust machine, in the
MBR, grub should make a bios call, let trust bios
check the stage 2's data in the partition header. then
grub stage2 should check the integrity of the modules,
kernels, initrds, and config file. it is only for
business systems, but sb need it badly.

    second, about priviledge control of grub 2. we can
assume there has serveal people using a machine with
serveal system, i.e., developing system, testing
system, working system, and a windows system.perhaps
one will only be permitted to booting one or two
systems,for example, only system administrator can use
a cdrom to booting the system. we can add a login and
passwd check interface in the beginning of the stage
2, give the different user the different booting
selection.can we build a mod to do this?

    third , about Copyrights. I don't think GPL is the
best choice for opensources, but we still need it. in
my opinion,the best public license should give a
public standard, allowing everyone use it for everying
except new non_public standard. So I want split  my 
work to two part, one part is on GPL, make interfaces
with the protection of GPL, the other part is
independent and totally free. Is it a good idea?

   Last is a question: Is there anyone try to booting
grub2 on mips ?

   thanks.

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Re: Some Ideas about booting security

[Marco Gerards]

paradox <algorist2000@yahoo.com> writes:

Hi,

>    I am a EE Dr. in trust computing.Our researching
> group has modified the grub 0.95 stage 1.5 code to add
> functions of Authentication and kernel and initrd's
> integrity check (use md5 digest algorithm and an usb
> security key),buy it is only a toy.
>
>    I has some ideas on booting security, and want to
> try them in grub2. here is a simple introduce:
>   
>     first, about trust chains in trust machine. a
> trust computing machine should has a trust chains from
> power on to the system envirment.in the trust chains,
> MBR Data should be checked by trust machine, in the
> MBR, grub should make a bios call, let trust bios
> check the stage 2's data in the partition header. then
> grub stage2 should check the integrity of the modules,
> kernels, initrds, and config file. it is only for
> business systems, but sb need it badly.

Isn't this something Intel focusses on by using EFI?

>     second, about priviledge control of grub 2. we can
> assume there has serveal people using a machine with
> serveal system, i.e., developing system, testing
> system, working system, and a windows system.perhaps
> one will only be permitted to booting one or two
> systems,for example, only system administrator can use
> a cdrom to booting the system. we can add a login and
> passwd check interface in the beginning of the stage
> 2, give the different user the different booting
> selection.can we build a mod to do this?

There is not stage 2 anymore in GRUB 2.  Perhaps you can put this in
an initialization routine in some GRUB 2 module.  Or even better in
the script grub.cfg.  Please keep in mind that GRUB 2 is GPL'ed so
anything that links to it, including modules, should be GPL'ed as
well.  Another thing you should know is that the interfaces of GRUB 2
are not fixed.

>     third , about Copyrights. I don't think GPL is the
> best choice for opensources, but we still need it. in
> my opinion,the best public license should give a
> public standard, allowing everyone use it for everying
> except new non_public standard. So I want split  my 
> work to two part, one part is on GPL, make interfaces
> with the protection of GPL, the other part is
> independent and totally free. Is it a good idea?

What does the license have to do with copyright?  GRUB 2 will remain
copyrighted by the FSF.  And I am not sure what you mean with
opensources, what are you referring to?  GRUB is is not open source.

What do you mean with public standard?  GRUB 2 is software.

I am not sure what you are heading to with that last part.  The GPL is
completely free *and* it protects your freedoms.  What else can you
wish for?  As I explained above, all code linked to GRUB 2 should be
GPL'ed.  But because I am not a lawyer, you can better contact one to
be sure.

>    Last is a question: Is there anyone try to booting
> grub2 on mips ?

Not yet, but I assume it will be quite easy to port GRUB 2.  Which
MIPS based machine did you have in mind?

--
Marco