Knowledge (XXG)

Proprietary firmware

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1183: 1173: 25: 137:, because the firmware is usually very specific to the manufacturer of each device (often being unique for each model), and the programming documentation and complete specifications that would be necessary to create a replacement are often withheld by the hardware manufacturer. 191:
suggests that "it's reasonable to assume that all firmware is a cesspool of insecurity courtesy of incompetence of the worst degree from manufacturers, and competence of the highest degree from a very wide range of such agencies".
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from their devices, requiring the operating system to upload the firmware each time the device is used. However, in order to do so, the operating system still has to have distribution rights for this proprietary microcode.
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access, firmware replacement restrictions (by denying complete tooling that may be necessary in order to recompile and replace the firmware), or by legal means, such as through
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Many open-source operating systems reluctantly choose to include proprietary firmware files in their distributions simply to make their
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restricted by the producer. Proprietors may enforce restrictions by technical means, such as by restricting
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suggests that wireless firmware are kept proprietary because of poor design quality and firmware defects.
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The security and reliability risks posed by proprietary microcode may be lower than those posed by
92: 1172: 1292: 561: 200: 254:, which are often the systems used by the manufacturer in their original proprietary firmware. 1681: 1582: 1504: 1390: 1282: 1267: 1094: 941: 621: 514: 261:, which goes a step further by also providing schematics for replicating the hardware itself. 184: 468: 1471: 1380: 1319: 1297: 859: 294: 290: 239: 204: 88: 1355: 1343: 1302: 1228: 1129: 231: 219: 104: 129:
Proprietary firmware (and especially the microcode) is much more difficult to avoid than
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Proprietary firmware poses a significant security risk to the user because of the
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Firmware with restrictions on use, private modification, copying, or republishing
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may still be available for certain products, which is often
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work, because manufacturers try to save money by removing
238:, which are capable of running complete general-purpose 385:"Feature: OpenBSD's "Out of the Box" Wireless Support" 597:
Comparison of open-source and closed-source software
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Murenin (2006-12-10). 7: 1125:Microsoft Open Specification Promise 1657:Free software culture and documents 592:Alternative terms for free software 932:Python Software Foundation License 519:"ACPI, firmware and your security" 14: 995:Definition of Free Cultural Works 612:Free software project directories 1182: 1181: 1171: 632:Open-source software development 207:, and doesn't run on the host's 23: 1543:Light-weight Linux distribution 1371:Hacking of consumer electronics 990:Debian Free Software Guidelines 822:Free Software Movement of India 479:OpenCON 2006, 2–3 December 2006 474:Open Documentation for Hardware 302:(RTAS), used in computers from 163:Firmware § Security risks 1: 980:Contributor License Agreement 794:Open-source-software movement 578:Free and open-source software 439:Jeremy Andrews (2004-11-02). 411:Jeremy Andrews (2006-05-02). 383:Jeremy Andrews (2005-03-08). 300:Run-Time Abstraction Services 287:found in modern x86 Computers 224:free and open-source software 1631:List of open-source hardware 1151:The Cathedral and the Bazaar 1005:The Free Software Definition 535:. 2005-11-03. Archived from 1055:Mozilla software rebranding 1020:Permissive software license 50:conditions to do so are met 1698: 1548:Real-time operating system 1060:Proprietary device drivers 1010:The Open Source Definition 413:"Interview: Theo de Raadt" 197:proprietary device drivers 160: 135:proprietary device drivers 122: 1621: 1533:Linux on embedded systems 1167: 1145:Source-available software 1045:Digital rights management 293:, used in computers from 1538:Linux for mobile devices 1140:Shared Source Initiative 937:Shared Source Initiative 890:Free Software Foundation 827:Free Software Foundation 677:Configuration management 1386:PlayStation 3 Jailbreak 1075:SCO/Linux controversies 1376:Homebrew (video games) 975:Comparison of licenses 784:Free software movement 1667:Software distribution 1570:Programming languages 1308:Single-board computer 1248:Board support package 1050:License proliferation 1662:Proprietary software 1636:Open-source robotics 1626:Lightweight browsers 1349:Proprietary firmware 1258:Consumer electronics 1135:Open-source hardware 1070:Proprietary software 1065:Proprietary firmware 766:Formerly open-source 761:Formerly proprietary 627:Open-source software 353:Open-source hardware 259:open-source hardware 169:direct memory access 131:proprietary software 81:Proprietary firmware 1677:Software by license 1366:Defective by Design 1273:Embedded hypervisor 1015:Open-source license 617:Gratis versus libre 37:of this article is 1672:Software licensing 1434:Software libraries 1644: 1643: 1583:Assembly language 1525:Operating systems 1505:Stand-alone shell 1472:Programming tools 1391:Rooting (Android) 1283:Embedded software 1268:Embedded database 1195: 1194: 1095:Trusted Computing 1085:Software security 1033: 1032: 714:Operating systems 622:Long-term support 515:Mark Shuttleworth 240:operating systems 185:Mark Shuttleworth 157:Security concerns 78: 77: 70: 1689: 1381:iOS jailbreaking 1298:Memory footprint 1229:Embedded systems 1222: 1215: 1208: 1199: 1185: 1184: 1175: 1080:Software patents 963: 875:Creative Commons 734:Web applications 571: 564: 557: 548: 541: 540: 529: 523: 522: 511: 502: 501: 489: 483: 482: 461: 455: 454: 449:. Archived from 436: 427: 426: 421:. Archived from 408: 399: 398: 393:. Archived from 380: 335:processors, etc. 312:'s control menus 295:Silicon Graphics 232:wireless routers 205:operating system 73: 66: 62: 59: 53: 27: 26: 19: 1697: 1696: 1692: 1691: 1690: 1688: 1687: 1686: 1647: 1646: 1645: 1640: 1617: 1564: 1519: 1466: 1428: 1405: 1356:Closed platform 1344:Custom firmware 1324: 1303:Microcontroller 1231: 1226: 1196: 1191: 1163: 1130:Open-core model 1105: 1099: 1029: 967: 961: 831: 808: 770: 653: 646: 580: 575: 545: 544: 531: 530: 526: 513: 512: 505: 491: 490: 486: 463: 462: 458: 438: 437: 430: 410: 409: 402: 382: 381: 377: 372: 367: 343: 338: 267: 228:gaming consoles 220:Custom firmware 217: 165: 159: 127: 121: 74: 63: 57: 54: 43: 28: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1695: 1693: 1685: 1684: 1679: 1674: 1669: 1664: 1659: 1649: 1648: 1642: 1641: 1639: 1638: 1633: 1628: 1622: 1619: 1618: 1616: 1615: 1610: 1605: 1600: 1595: 1590: 1585: 1580: 1574: 1572: 1566: 1565: 1563: 1562: 1561: 1560: 1550: 1545: 1540: 1535: 1529: 1527: 1521: 1520: 1518: 1517: 1512: 1507: 1502: 1497: 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Index

neutrality
disputed
talk page
conditions to do so are met
Learn how and when to remove this message
firmware
copying
republishing
source code
copyright
patents
free (libre)
open-source
Proprietary device driver § Device firmware
proprietary software
proprietary device drivers
device drivers
flash memory
EEPROM
Firmware § Security risks
direct memory access
DMA attacks
Theo de Raadt
OpenBSD
Mark Shuttleworth
Ubuntu
proprietary device drivers
linked
operating system
main processor

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