Patent ID: 8966600
Filing Date: 2015-02-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a controller hub to couple the apparatus to one or more processor cores of the computer platform, wherein the one or more processor cores execute a general purpose operating system, wherein the controller hub to operate as a component of the computer platform, including the controller hub to receive a request to authenticate a local user of the computer platform, the controller hub including: a manageability engine (ME) comprising a processor to execute a trusted path driver configured to exchange authentication information in a trusted path between the ME and an input/output (I/O) device external to the apparatus, the exchange in response to the received request, wherein the trusted path includes an isolated hardware path from the trusted path driver to the I/O device, wherein any data exchanged on the isolated hardware path is accessible from that isolated hardware path only via the trusted path driver or the I/O device; the ME comprising to run an authentication client in an execution environment of the ME, the authentication client to couple to the trusted path driver to receive the authentication information and to authenticate the local user based on the authentication information.