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4.1 Cryptographic Module Specification

NIST platform security: roots of trust, firmware and secure enclaves FIPS 140-2
All changes in this version
first version loaded 4 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS part of 4

Title

Cryptographic Module Specification

Control

A cryptographic module shall be a set of hardware, software, firmware, or some combination thereof that implements cryptographic functions or processes, including cryptographic algorithms and, optionally, key generation, and is contained within a defined cryptographic boundary. A cryptographic module shall implement at least one Approved security function used in an Approved mode of operation. Non-Approved security functions may also be included for use in non-Approved modes of operation. The operator shall be able to determine when an Approved mode of operation is selected. For Security Levels 1 and 2, the cryptographic module security policy may specify when a cryptographic module is performing in an Approved mode of operation. For Security Levels 3 and 4, a cryptographic module shall indicate when an Approved mode of operation is selected. (Approved security functions are listed in Annex A to this standard.)

A cryptographic boundary shall consist of an explicitly defined perimeter that establishes the physical bounds of a cryptographic module. If a cryptographic module consists of software or firmware components, the cryptographic boundary shall contain the processor(s) and other hardware components that store and protect the software and firmware components. Hardware, software, and firmware components of a cryptographic module can be excluded from the requirements of this standard if shown that these components do not affect the security of the module.

The following documentation requirements shall apply to all security-specific hardware, software, and firmware contained within a cryptographic module. These requirements do not apply to microcode or system software whose source code is not available to the vendor or to any hardware, software, or firmware components that can be shown not to affect the security of the cryptographic module.

• Documentation shall specify the hardware, software, and firmware components of a cryptographic module, specify the cryptographic boundary surrounding these components, and describe the physical configuration of the module (see Section 4.5).

• Documentation shall specify any hardware, software, or firmware components of a cryptographic module that are excluded from the security requirements of this standard and explain the rationale for the exclusion.

• Documentation shall specify the physical ports and logical interfaces and all defined input and output data paths of a cryptographic module.

• Documentation shall specify the manual or logical controls of a cryptographic module, physical or logical status indicators, and applicable physical, logical, and electrical characteristics.

• Documentation shall list all security functions, both Approved and non-Approved, that are employed by a cryptographic module and shall specify all modes of operation, both Approved and non-Approved.
• Documentation shall specify:

! a block diagram depicting all of the major hardware components of a cryptographic module and component interconnections, including any microprocessors, input/output buffers, plaintext/ciphertext buffers, control buffers, key storage, working memory, and program memory, and

! the design of the hardware, software, and firmware components of a cryptographic module. High-level specification languages for software/firmware or schematics for hardware shall be used to document the design.

Documentation shall specify all security-related information, including secret and private cryptographic keys (both plaintext and encrypted), authentication data (e.g., passwords, PINs), CSPs, and other protected information (e.g., audited events, audit data) whose disclosure or modification can compromise the security of the cryptographic module.

• Documentation shall specify a cryptographic module security policy. The security policy shall include the rules derived from the requirements of this standard and the rules derived from any additional requirements imposed by the vendor (see Appendix C).