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NVIDIA Begins Requiring Signed GPU Firmware Images

Posted by Soulskill on from the always-looking-out-for-the-little-guy dept.

An anonymous reader writes: In a blow to those working on open-source drivers, soft-mods for enhancing graphics cards, and the Chinese knock-offs of graphics cards, NVIDIA has begun signing and validating GPU firmware images. With the latest-generation Maxwell GPUs, not all engine functionality is being exposed unless the hardware detects the firmware image was signed by NVIDIA. This is a setback to the open-source Nouveau Linux graphics driver but they're working towards a solution where NVIDIA can provide signed, closed-source firmware images to the driver project for redistribution. Initially the lack of a signed firmware image will prevent some thermal-related bits from being programmed but with future hardware the list of requirements is expected to rise.

4 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Alibaba by ThatsMyNick · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They are selling nvidia cards with a modded firmware? Why? Nvidia is going to change their hardware, and hardware will only accept signed firmware. Fake cards, can choose to simply not do any signature checks on their hardware. Unless the fake cards are real nvidia cards, which for some reason run a modded firmware instead of nvidia singed firmwares, this will have no effect on them.

    This is to simply prevent modding. Modded firmware often pushed the hardware beyond the recommended limits. This is more like some of the android phones only accepting signed firmware.

  2. Re:Fuck That Shit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

    Oh please enlighten us of the one true reason why people implement code signing /sarcasm

  3. Well that's just it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've had it. I don't understand why they don't just release all of the specs of the cards. Why don't they give them away for free? Or provide a 3D-printable download at the very least. Fuck nVidia!

  4. Re:Alibaba by Baloroth · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They are selling nvidia cards with a modded firmware? Why? Nvidia is going to change their hardware, and hardware will only accept signed firmware. Fake cards, can choose to simply not do any signature checks on their hardware. Unless the fake cards are real nvidia cards, which for some reason run a modded firmware instead of nvidia singed firmwares, this will have no effect on them.

    That's exactly what they are. It's pretty trivial to take, say, GTX 440, and reflash the firmware to report that it's a GTX660. It's extremely difficult to make a fake nvidia card that isn't actually an nvidia card that actually works as a video card and isn't completely obviously a fake. The story was even on slashdot.

    --
    "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton