Security
The wiki is being retired!
Documentation is now handled by the same processes we use for code: Add something to the Documentation/ directory in the coreboot repo, and it will be rendered to https://doc.coreboot.org/. Contributions welcome!
This page explains how coreboot can help with various security aspects of your system, compared to closed-source, legacy BIOS/EFI/firmware implementations.
Common security features
- Boot password (like BIOS password)
- Signature verification - option to boot from payload only signed images
Bayou / coreinfo / GRUB2 have "BIOS password"-like feature, using SHA-1 hashes stored in NVRAM or the (flash) ROM chip. GRUB2 can also do signature verification of on-disk operating systems. All such features are in the payload domain since coreboot doesn't provide a user interface. Tianocore could probably be adapted to support either, too.
- RAM wiping after each boot
Not very useful: The most interesting time would be right before power-off, which could be implemented in SMM. Unfortunately a cautious attacker just pulls the plug.
- Support booting from encrypted block devices/volumes
GRUB2 can do that.
Current BIOS issues
RAM wiping
- http://citp.princeton.edu/memory/
- Coreinfo as demo payload for coreboot, showing your RAM contents after a cold boot.
SMI issues
- http://www.ssi.gouv.fr/fr/sciences/fichiers/lti/cansecwest2006-duflot.pdf
- http://tracker.coreboot.org/trac/coreboot/ticket/42
ATA issues
- http://coreboot.org/pipermail/coreboot/2005-May/011686.html
- http://www.heise.de/ct/english/05/08/172/
Firewire issues
- http://md.hudora.de/presentations/firewire/
- http://www.hermann-uwe.de/blog/physical-memory-attacks-via-firewire-dma-part-1-overview-and-mitigation