linux-kernel - Re: [RFD] linux-firmware key arrangement for firmware signing

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Date:	Wed, 20 May 2015 19:46:13 +0300
From:	Petko Manolov <petkan@...-labs.com>
To:	One Thousand Gnomes <gnomes@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>
Cc:	Seth Forshee <seth.forshee@...onical.com>,
	"Luis R. Rodriguez" <mcgrof@...e.com>,
	linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org, james.l.morris@...cle.com,
	serge@...lyn.com, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	linux-wireless@...r.kernel.org,
	David Howells <dhowells@...hat.com>,
	Kyle McMartin <kyle@...nel.org>,
	David Woodhouse <david.woodhouse@...el.com>,
	Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
	Joey Lee <jlee@...e.de>, Rusty Russell <rusty@...tcorp.com.au>,
	zohar@...ux.vnet.ibm.com, mricon@...nel.org
Subject: Re: [RFD] linux-firmware key arrangement for firmware signing

On 15-05-20 17:24:46, One Thousand Gnomes wrote:
> 
> More to the point why do you want to sign firmware files ? Leaving aside the 
> fact that someone will produce a device with GPLv3 firmware just to p*ss you 
> off there's the rather more relevant fact that firmware for devices on a so 
> called "trusted" platform already have signed firmware.

For "trusted" systems one would like to make sure everything that goes in has 
known provenance.  Maybe this was the idea?

> For external devices I don't normally have access to read system memory 
> anyway, and signing firmware would achieve nothing unless you start doing 
> crazy DRM style key exchanges to prove the endpoint is trusted. Any NSA trojan 
> wifi stick is simply going to nod as the correct firmware is uploaded, and 
> then ignore it. And if I'm just out to be a pain I can already just plug in a 
> fake device claiming to be a usb disk with 256 bytes per sector (boom... exit 
> machine stage right), or for that matter wire a USB stick with 5v connected to 
> the mains at the nearest wall socket.

Yep, gaining physical access to the system is a game over.  It is arguable how 
"trusted" a networked machine could be and i guess the answer is "not much"...


		Petko
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