[coreboot] Is Coreboot selfmodifying? Award legacy Bios is!

Andriy Gapon avg at icyb.net.ua
Thu Oct 2 12:27:11 CEST 2008


on 01/10/2008 19:04 Mats Erik Andersson said the following:
> Hello all,
> 
> the cryptic subject of this message is due to my efforts
> to verify that Flashrom is producing correct images.
> 
> After much practical testing I have been able to conclude
> positively that the Award Bios 4.51 of a FIC mainboard
> is rewriting the blocks
> 
>    0x0003800 - 0x00038fff     cleartext on system characteristica,
>    0x0003a00 - 0x0003afff     pci-table.

I think that this is related to ESCD updates.
It seems that some proprietary BIOSes contain flash writing routines
which sometimes are even exposed for external use (via special signatures).

> at each reboot. Now I wonder if also Coreboot is using this opportunity
> under some circumstances. It is not that I think it is a commendable
> thing to do, instead it is a rather hazardous endeavour in my eyes.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Mats Erik Andersson
> 
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> 


-- 
Andriy Gapon




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