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Administration Guide
Request source
BlackBerry® Infrastructure
BlackBerry® Provisioning System
administration web site
Authenticating requests for wireless software upgrades
Before the BlackBerry® Infrastructure sends data about a wireless software upgrade to a BlackBerry device, it performs the
following actions:
•
generates an ECDSA key periodically, using ECC over a 521-bit curve
•
signs the ECDSA key, using a stored root certificate
•
signs the software upgrade data using the digitally signed ECDSA key
When the BlackBerry device receives the data, it performs the following actions:
•
decrypts the ECDSA key, using a public key common to all BlackBerry devices that support wireless software upgrades
•
verifies the digital signature on the ECDSA key, using a stored root certificate
How the BlackBerry device protects the existing BlackBerry Device Software
During the software upgrade process, security features of the BlackBerry® device components are designed to protect the
BlackBerry® Device Software from an attack by a user with malicious intent. Each time a user turns on the BlackBerry device,
specific components on the BlackBerry device are designed to automatically check the authenticity of the operating system
and the integrity of the BlackBerry Device Software. The BlackBerry Device Software must pass these security tests before
the user can run the applications on the BlackBerry device and before the wireless software upgrades can update the
applications successfully.
10
Description of authentication method
The BlackBerry device is designed to use digital signature validation to
authenticate the following types of data:
•
control messages that the BlackBerry device receives from the BlackBerry
Infrastructure or the administration site that requests the wireless software
upgrade
•
upgrade instructions that the BlackBerry device requests and receives from
the BlackBerry Infrastructure or the administration site that sends the
wireless software upgrade
Protecting wireless software upgrades
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