# Communication modes ## Disable USB, Serial and Docsis Support To disable USB support in U-Boot, following config's shall not be defined: ``` CONFIG_CMD_USB: Enables basic USB support and the usb command. CONFIG_USB_UHCI: Defines the lowlevel part. CONFIG_USB_KEYBOARD: Enables the USB Keyboard. CONFIG_USB_STORAGE: Enables the USB storage devices. CONFIG_USB_HOST_ETHER: Enables USB Ethernet adapter support. ``` In addition, disable unnecessary communication modes like Ethernet, Serial ports, DOCSIS in U-Boot and sboot that are not necessary. Linux Kernel support for USB should be compiled-out if not required. If it is needed, the Linux Kernel should be configured to only enable the minimum required USB devices. User-initiated USB-filesystems should be treated with special care. Whether or not the filesystems are mounted in userspace (**FUSE**), restricted mount options should be observed. Domain | Communication modes | _State_ -------------------- | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boot-Communication-1 | `USB` | _Disabled_ and _Compiled-out_ if not required. Boot-Communication-2 | `USB` | Else, Kernel should be configured to only enable the minimum required USB devices and filesystems should be treated with special care. Boot-Communication-3 | `Ethernet` | _Disabled_ Boot-Communication-4 | U-boot and sboot `DOCSIS` | _Disabled_ Boot-Communication-5 | `Serial ports` | _Disabled_ Domain | `Config` name | _State_ ------------------------ | ----------------------- | ------------- Boot-Communication-USB-1 | `CONFIG_CMD_USB` | _Not defined_ Boot-Communication-USB-2 | `CONFIG_USB_UHCI` | _Not defined_ Boot-Communication-USB-3 | `CONFIG_USB_KEYBOARD` | _Not defined_ Boot-Communication-USB-4 | `CONFIG_USB_STORAGE` | _Not defined_ Boot-Communication-USB-5 | `CONFIG_USB_HOST_ETHER` | _Not defined_ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ## Disable all Network Interfaces Preferably no network interface is allowed, but if required, then the enabled services should be restricted to only those used. Domain | Communication modes | _State_ -------------------- | -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boot-Communication-1 | `Network interfaces` | Preferably _no network interface is allowed_, otherwise, restrict the services to those used. ## Remove or Disable Unnecessary Services, Ports, and Devices Restrict the `services`, `ports` and `devices` to those used. Domain | Object | Recommendations -------------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- Boot-Communication-1 | `Services`, `ports` and `devices` | Restrict the `services`, `ports` and `devices` to those used. ## Disable flash access **Recommendation**: In U-Boot following flash memory commands shall be disabled: **NAND**: Support for nand flash access available through `do_nand` has to be disabled. Domain | `Command` name | _State_ -------------------------- | -------------- | --------- Boot-Communication-Flash-1 | `do_nand` | _Disable_ Similarly sboot should disable flash access support through command line if any.