Not even close. [LWN.net]

Not even close.

Posted Jan 19, 2012 9:57 UTC (Thu) by khim (subscriber, #9252)
In reply to: Garrett: Why UEFI secure boot is difficult for Linux by mastro
Parent article: Garrett: Why UEFI secure boot is difficult for Linux

And that INCLUDES the possibility of preventing any security update from being successful while still giving to me the appearance of a completely updated and secure system unless I pay *very* close attention.

Bullshit. Either you are not looking around you don't undestand how it's done. I've already written about it.

You need secure boot and secure kernel update mechanism. That's all. Update mechanism can be much, MUCH, MUCH simpler then the full Linux kernel. You just send update with encrypted new random private key and then (when remote system acknoleged update and supposedly installed it) ask to sign a challenge with this new private key. If there are no response or if response is wrong then you know system was hosed and should be disconnected.

There's a reason why a compromised system must never be just *fixed*, it must be rebuilt from a clean install.

Right. But with secure boot you can keep you "clear install" on the same physical media as the rest of the system :-)

Look, the root of the problem is: the boot process must not be modifiable without the consent of the device's owner but must also easy to change for the owner if they want to.

The current boot process does achieve both these goals, UEFI "secure" boot doesn't.

Of course it does! You don't own Windows or iOS. You rent it. The real owner is Microsoft, Apple, etc. And UEFI boot absolutely does provide the required capability for the real owner (see above).

The real owners were long concerned by the fact that mere lessee can change the system without their consent. UEFI is solution for this problem. After public outcry they decided to allow this capability for some time on x86, but ARM is a new platform and it'll be created properly from the start: real owner will have the ability to rebuild the system while mere tenant will not. What's your problem?

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