65 lines
2.9 KiB
Markdown
65 lines
2.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Ivybridge internal flashing
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x-toc-enable: true
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...
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External flashing still recommended
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-----------------------------------
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Internal flashing is quite complex, from a software and hardware
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perspective, when switching from Lenovo firmware to Libreboot.
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If you already have Libreboot, then you likely have the entire
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flash unlocked so you can refer to generic flashing instructions.
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Internal flashing from Lenovo firmware is more time consuming, but basically
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costs less money, because there's less equipment that you need for it.
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This method is also more risky, because one of the steps involves shorting
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two pins on the HDA (audio) chip, and if you do it wrong you could short
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the wrong thing by mistake; consequences could be blown fuses and/or fire,
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or just a dead ThinkPad. Proceed at your own risk!
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If you prefer external flashing, see: [external flashing](x230_external.md)
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Internal flashing from vendor firmware (ThinkPads only)
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----------------------------------------
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IVYBRIDGE ONLY:
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Refer to this coreboot guide:
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<https://doc.coreboot.org/mainboard/lenovo/ivb_internal_flashing.html?highlight=x230>
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With this guide, you can exploit a vulnerability in Lenovo firmware, to flash
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just the BIOS region without disassembling your machine.
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You will have to flash just the BIOS region, on upstream coreboot. Just compile
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upstream coreboot from scratch. Coreboot instructions here:
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<https://doc.coreboot.org/tutorial/index.html>
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You can then strap HDA\_SDO (soft descriptor override), which will disable
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flash protections set in the Intel Flash Descriptor. More info about that is
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available here:
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<https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/guide-unlock-intel-flash-descriptor-read-write-access-permissions-for-spi-servicing/32449>
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On ivybridge platforms specifically, coreboot supports what's called
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the *ME Soft Temporary Disable*, which disables the ME after BringUp, similar
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to `me_cleaner`. You can do this by setting `me_state=Disabled` in nvramtool.
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Now boot with HDA\_SDO strapped. On the HDA (audio) chip, there is a pin that
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you can short, to disable IFD-based flash protections. You simply HOLD it in
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the shorted state, while booting up the machine, and if successful, you will
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then have the flash unlocked. This, combined with ME Soft Temporary Disable,
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and the internal flashing guide linked above (from coreboot.org), you'll get
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to a state where you can simply flash all regions. You can then flash the
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truncated+neutered images from Libreboot, after building the ROMs in lbmk; see
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[Libreboot build instructions](../build/).
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The following photo shows what to short on the ThinkPad X230. You'll have to
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look for it. X230 is easy because you don't have to directly touch the pins,
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instead you can use alt points that have continuity. They are marked on this
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photo:
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<img tabindex=1 src="https://av.libreboot.org/x230/hda_sdo.jpg" /><span class="f"><img src="https://av.libreboot.org/x230/hda_sdo.jpg" /></span>
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TODO: Document other ivybridge thinkpads (just show pics)
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