You are responsible for a QA environment that validates firmware, drivers, and host-side test software against embedded hardware platforms. A recent test cycle showed intermittent failures only when secure boot is enabled and external debug access is restricted, and the team is unsure whether the issue is in the firmware image, the board configuration, or the test harness. You need to validate the hardware-software interaction path without weakening the platform’s security posture or losing forensic evidence.
How would you design and run this validation so you can isolate the fault, protect sensitive material such as signing keys and device credentials, and prove that your controls and test results are trustworthy? Be explicit about the signals, trust boundaries, and failure handling you would rely on.
Boot ROM and secure boot result codesBoard security/debug state before and after each runFlashed image digest and signing metadataUART, bus, and power/reset traces tied to a job IDDo not expose signing keys or device credentials to test scriptsDo not rely on unrestricted debug access as the default diagnostic pathA run without complete telemetry should be treated as inconclusive, not passThe environment must preserve evidence for later incident review