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Intel Open-Sources New TPM2 Software Stack

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  • starshipeleven
    replied
    Originally posted by sandy8925 View Post
    The problem is that the TPM hardware chip contains closed-source firmware, and is essentially a mini-computer. We don't know what it can access and what it's doing. All we know is that we can securely store and retrieve keys - but no way of knowing if it's actually secure, and whether or not there are backdoors.
    TPM isn't a mini-computer, it's a hardware accelerator for some crypto functions, it has a RNG, and has secure storage for keys. Its bus has no access to a damn.
    Last edited by starshipeleven; 03 September 2018, 03:43 AM.

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  • audir8
    replied
    Originally posted by sandy8925 View Post

    The problem is that the TPM hardware chip contains closed-source firmware, and is essentially a mini-computer. We don't know what it can access and what it's doing. All we know is that we can securely store and retrieve keys - but no way of knowing if it's actually secure, and whether or not there are backdoors.
    The TPM spec is open, the drivers are open, it doesn't have access to main memory like Intel ME does AFAICT under any number of it's modes and possible design applications. https://trustedcomputinggroup.org/re...specification/

    It stores numbers securely, and either the BIOS or the OS (face/thumb print recognition etc..) can query these numbers given certain conditions. Secure key storage is a pretty old problem, If Atmel's TPM is insecure or has a backdoor, you can switch to others (giving Atmel enough reason to not do those things). These are basically the same guarantees you have with any peripheral connected to any I/O port on your computer. It's up to you if you want to store certain keys or not in a TPM, but I would say in most circumstances, it can make for an additional layer of security, that's just as importantly practical enough to use for the average user. I think they should be more widespread because of this.

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  • pal666
    replied
    Originally posted by Slithery View Post
    Does anyone know if there are any other hardware providers?

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  • pal666
    replied
    Originally posted by ryszardzonk View Post
    There are those of us that want freedom and believe people are smart enough do decide what is best for them
    in real world most people are dumb and easily manipulated


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  • pal666
    replied
    Originally posted by sandy8925 View Post
    The problem is that the TPM hardware chip contains closed-source firmware, and is essentially a mini-computer. We don't know what it can access and what it's doing. All we know is that we can securely store and retrieve keys - but no way of knowing if it's actually secure, and whether or not there are backdoors.
    all hardware inside your computer is closed source and you don't know what it can access and what it's doing. so nothing changed

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  • pal666
    replied
    Originally posted by dwagner View Post
    "Used for full disk encryption" only by people who earnestly believe that their few-cents-TPM chip could encrypt/decrypt data at the I/O rate of modern NVMe storage. Less misguided people know that the CPU will need to know the symmetric encryption key basically all the time while the system is running, so it isn't any safer when it is also stored in the TPM
    lol. with full disk encryption your cpu sees all decrypted data because without cpu you can't do anything. encryption is not against your cpu while it is running, it is against stealing drive and putting it in other computer

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  • pal666
    replied
    Originally posted by stikonas View Post
    Trusted by intel obviously. There is no way to avoid trusting them
    trusting them and trusted by them are two completely different things

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  • iavael
    replied
    Originally posted by tildearrow View Post
    I feel like asking. When they say "trusted", do they mean "trusted by Intel", or " trusted by the user"? Because if it's the former, then it is a misnomer...
    Trusted by user of course. Intel doesn’t have to trust TPM, they know how it works. But users doesn’t know so they have to trust.

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  • dwagner
    replied
    Originally posted by nh2_ View Post
    I think the idea is that the TPM stores they keys for full-disk encryption, and hands them to the CPU only if trusted software is running.
    Then this is about a "secure boot" mechanism, not really about disk encryption. A thieve stealing a notebook steals both the storage device and the TPM that contains the decryption key. Turning the machine on, booting the system installed on it means he is only one DMA access or cold-boot-attack away from the encryption key, which by then resides in ordinary DRAM. Had the encryption key not be stored in the TPM, but to be entered by the legitimate user, such attack would not be feasible.

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  • boxie
    replied
    Originally posted by Slithery View Post
    Does anyone know if there are any other hardware providers? You could then choose to trust someone other than Intel.
    there was some news today about an open source RISC-V Secure Enclave...

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