Z170 OC Formula **SECURITY FLAW**

My OS is Windows, I boot into Linux only to use HDPARM only to set the Master Password as that cannot be done in windows. There is an issue with the BIOS that resets the Master Password upon unlocking the SSD by entering the user password upon startup when prompted by the BIOS.

This is OS independent.

This has also happened in a Z77 Extreme 4 with a ATA enabled BIOS.

Also I have noticed that this only happens when the SSD is unlocked at BIOS i.e. if you restart the PC over and over but don't unlock the SSD after initially setting the Master Password and shutting down, the Master password is retained and can be used to unlock the SSD. Therefore the act of unlocking the SSD at startup in BIOS resets the Master Password to default. This is not an OS issue, this is a BIOS issue.


Edited by someguy - 10 Dec 2016 at 11:59am

When ATA Security is enabled on an SSD or HDD and you are using a motherboard that supports it, upon startup you will be met by a prompt from BIOS to input a user password to unlock the "locked" drive. With the Asrock motherboards, if you enter the incorrect user password five times a new prompt will show up asking for a master password. If you incorrectly enter the Master password five times you will get a message saying the SSD/HDD is locked.

wardog wrote: A long read yet after your post above describing "unlocking the SSD" I believe your answers are found at: http://www.admin-magazine.com/Archive/2014/19/Using-the-ATA-security-features-of-modern-hard-disks-and-SSDs

ie:

The counterpart to freezing (thawing, so to speak) does not exist. It takes a hardware reset or power cycle to revert to the SEC1 state (Figure 1).

wardog wrote: wardog wrote: wardog wrote: A long read yet after your post above describing "unlocking the SSD" I believe your answers are found at: http://www.admin-magazine.com/Archive/2014/19/Using-the-ATA-security-features-of-modern-hard-disks-and-SSDs ie: The counterpart to freezing (thawing, so to speak) does not exist. It takes a hardware reset or power cycle to revert to the SEC1 state (Figure 1). Can I assume you're using the switch on the back of the PSU or a power strip to kill all power, instead of Sleep or even simply shutting down from  the OS, but still leaving the PSU feed the MB?

That's not necessary. To "Unfreeze" an SSD you simply need to pull out the power cable out of the SSD and plug it back in again.

Its quicker to unplug and plug the SSD then suspending the PC