[Cryptography] Intel SGX: Augean stables piled higher & deeper?

[Steve Weis]

On Tue, May 19, 2015 at 8:11 AM, Henry Baker <hbaker1 at pipeline.com> wrote:

> At 01:26 PM 5/18/2015, Steve Weis wrote:
> >For those who aren't familiar with SGX, see the links below.  Some pros
> and cons that I see:
> >+ You can run code in a "secure enclave" that is not accessible from
> either ring-0 code or SMM.
>
> Mathematical proof?
>

SGX is implemented through hardware mechanisms, not through cryptography or
anything with a mathematical proof that would satisfy you. Yes, you do need
to trust Intel to implement it correctly and yes, Intel certainly ships
hardware with hundreds of errata.


> >+ Secure enclaves are backed by physically encrypted memory, and thus not
> exposed to cold boot attacks or non-volatile RAM.
>
> Mathematical proof?


You want a mathematical proof that a physical attack against hardware is
impossible? Or that memory is actually being encrypted as advertised? The
latter is easy to verify.

The closest model I can think of is physically observable cryptography:
http://www.cs.bu.edu/fac/reyzin/papers/physec.pdf


> >+ Enclaves should be remotely attestable with CPU-bound public keys using
> anonymized or pseudonymized signatures.
>
> Mathematical proof?
>

EPID paper is here: https://eprint.iacr.org/2009/095.pdf

I doubt that will satisfy you.

If Intel can't provide sound & complete & public proofs for their wet
> dreams, then these technologies are simply more BS for the pile.
>
> In the absence of such mathematical proofs, Intel SGX is providing more
> "security through obscurity" than true security.
>

You seem to be asking for formal proofs of both the correctness of the
architecture design and that a hardware implementation properly embodies
the design. I can't think of any hardware which would satisfy your criteria.

DARPA's TRUST and CRASH programs may be of interest:
http://www.darpa.mil/opencatalog/CRASH.html
http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/MTO/Programs/Trusted_Integrated_Circuits_%28TRUST%29.aspx
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