Private Blockchain Network for IoT Device Firmware Integrity Verification and Update

Abstract

There are various possible mechanisms for updating potentially vulnerable and exploitable software and firmware on Internet connected devices. Due to their well-known benefits, delta updates have become a common way of updating software. Recently, several authors proposed the use of blockchain technology to update software and firmware. While both delta updates and blockchain technology are now used in different areas, this paper studies the feasibility of combining the two technologies for firmware updates on resource constrained IoT devices such as Wi-Fi smart plugs and sensors. The paper identifies the scenarios where delta updates may not work and proposes a private blockchain network-based IoT device firmware integrity verification and update mechanism. The proposed private blockchain mechanism for integrity verification utilizes a tamper-proof blockchain server. The proposed solution aims to enhance firmware update performance.