Security below the OS with CHIPSEC Framework

March 16, 2015 (at 9:30 a.m.)

A variety of attacks targeting platform firmware have been discussed publicly, drawing attention to the pre-boot and firmware components of the platform such as BIOS and SMM, UEFI secure boot and OS loaders. This workshop provides a hands-on opportunity to learn how to use an open source CHIPSEC framework (https://github.com/chipsec/chipsec) to test systems for vulnerabilities in low-level platform firmware components, problems with firmware security protections as well as develop your own modules in CHIPSEC which test for known issues or implement tools identifying new issues.

Agenda

  1. Introduction to platform hardware and access with CHIPSEC
  2. Introduction to platform firmware such as BIOS, UEFI firmware, SMI handlers
  3. Overview of main components of CHIPSEC framework
  4. Analyzing main firmware components and configuration
  5. Assessing systems for vulnerabilities in the BIOS and other firmware
  6. Developing vulnerability testing modules
  7. Developing fuzzers for firmware interfaces and other security tools
  8. BIOS forensics with CHIPSEC

Who should attend?

IT security professionals or anyone interested in understanding and assessing security of low-level platform firmware and hardware components of their systems. Basic understanding of x86 platform hardware and firmware is welcome.

Requirements

A laptop/desktop computer based on 2nd Generation Core Intel processor or later with preferably UEFI based firmware, UEFI OS (e.g. Microsoft Windows 8 or higher). Bootable Linux and UEFI shell USB thumb drives with CHIPSEC will be provided.

Oleksandr Bazhaniuk

Oleksandr Bazhaniuk is a security researcher in the Advanced Threat Research team at Intel, Inc. His primary interests are low-level hardware security, bios/uefi security, and automation of binary vulnerability analysis. His work has been presented at many conferences, including Black Hat USA, Hack In The Box, Hackito Ergo Sum, Positive Hack Days, Toorcon, CanSecWest, Troopers, USENIX. He is also a co-founder of DCUA, the first DefCon group in Ukraine.

Yuriy Bulygin

Yuriy Bulygin is chief threat researcher at Intel Security where he is leading the Advanced Threat Research team in identifying and analyzing new threats impacting modern platforms and researching mitigations in hardware and software against these threats. He joined Intel's Security Center of Excellence in 2006, where he was responsible for conducting security analysis and penetration testing of microprocessors, chipsets, graphics, and various other components, firmware, and technologies on Intel PCs, servers, and mobile devices.