Device validation, distress indication, and remediation

Abstract

A wireless communications device may be configured to perform integrity checking and interrogation with a network entity to isolate a portion of a failed component on the wireless network device for remediation. Once an integrity failure is determined on a component of the device, the device may identify a functionality associated with the component and indicate the failed functionality to the network entity. Both the wireless network device and the network entity may identify the failed functionality and/or failed component using a component-to-functionality map. After receiving an indication of an integrity failure at the device, the network entity may determine that one or more additional iterations of integrity checking may be performed at the device to narrow the scope of the integrity failure on the failed component. Once the integrity failure is isolated, the network entity may remediate a portion of the failed component on the wireless communications device.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 performing, by a loader of a wireless communication device, an integrity check on at least one component associated with at least one executable image of a wireless communication device, during the loading of the executable image by the loader; and   determining, by the loader, whether the component has passed or failed the integrity check.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the integrity check is based on integrity check information contained within the executable image or a supplemental file to the executable image or in secure memory. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the integrity check information includes a reference measurement for the at least one component; and further comprising determining that the component has failed the integrity check when the integrity check of the at least one component does not match the integrity check information. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the reference measurement is a trusted reference value. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the integrity check information includes component-to-functionality information to determine at least a functionality that corresponds to the at least one component. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the integrity check information includes functionality information to determine at least one capability of the at least one executable image. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising upon determining a failure of the integrity check of the at least one component, sending to a network entity an indication of the at least one functionality that corresponds to the at least one failed component. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising upon determining a failure of the integrity check of the at least one component sending to a network entity an indication of the at least one capability that corresponds to the at least one failed component. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising upon determining a failure of the integrity check of the at least one component, preventing an execution of the at least one component that failed the integrity check. 
     
     
         10 . A wireless communication device comprising:
 a processor adapted to execute computer-readable instructions;   a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 performing, by a loader of the wireless communication device, an integrity check on at least one component associated with at least one executable image of a wireless communication device, during the loading of the executable image by the loader; and 
 determining, by the loader, whether the component has passed or failed the integrity check. 
   
     
     
         11 . The wireless communication device of  claim 10 , wherein the integrity check is based on integrity check information contained within the executable image or a supplemental file to the executable image or in secure memory. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the integrity check information includes a reference measurement for the at least one component; and further comprising determining that the component has failed the integrity check when the integrity check of the at least one component does not match the integrity check information. 
     
     
         13 . The wireless communication device of  claim 12 , wherein the reference measurement is a trusted reference value. 
     
     
         14 . The wireless communication device of  claim 12 , wherein the integrity check information includes component-to-functionality information to determine at least a functionality that corresponds to the at least one component. 
     
     
         15 . The wireless communication device of  claim 14 , wherein the integrity check information includes functionality information to determine at least one capability of the at least one executable image. 
     
     
         16 . The wireless communication device of  claim 14 , further comprising upon determining a failure of the integrity check of the at least one component, sending to a network entity an indication of the at least one functionality that corresponds to the at least one failed component. 
     
     
         17 . The wireless communication device of  claim 15 , further comprising upon determining a failure of the integrity check of the at least one component sending to a network entity an indication of the at least one capability that corresponds to the at least one failed component. 
     
     
         18 . The wireless communication device of  claim 12 , further comprising upon determining a failure of the integrity check of the at least one component, preventing an execution of the at least one component that failed the integrity check.