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wiki: correct PCR 16 history (iteration 2 of N) - #247

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@tlaurion tlaurion commented Sep 7, 2026

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Summary

Extends doc/tpm.md fix (linuxboot/heads#2203) to the wiki.

Changes

PCR 16 description updated from "Used for TPM futurecalc of LUKS header" to accurate history:

  • Historically scratch PCR for calcfuturepcr on TPM1 (TPM2 used PCR 23)
  • calcfuturepcr was later rewritten to replay from cbmem -L event log, eliminating the need for any scratch PCR
  • PCR 16 is now unused in current code

Evidence

  • 68cc9d0b132 (2017): original tpm calcfuturepcr -ix 16 call in kexec-seal-key.sh
  • 80c4a7ea6ea: TPM1 branch used PCR 16, TPM2 used PCR 23
  • d1a18f1f83b: tpmr.sh introduced, calcfuturepcr rewritten to replay_pcr using cbmem -L
  • Current tpmr.sh:208-230: replay_pcr rejects pcr >= 8, no physical PCR touched

Related

PCR 16 was historically scratch space for calcfuturepcr on TPM1
(PCR 23 on TPM2). calcfuturepcr was later rewritten to replay
from cbmem -L event log, eliminating the need for any scratch PCR.
PCR 16 is now unused.

Extends doc/tpm.md fix (linuxboot/heads#2203).

Signed-off-by: Thierry Laurion <insurgo@riseup.net>
@tlaurion

tlaurion commented Sep 7, 2026

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Closing — will reopen from fork.

@tlaurion tlaurion closed this Sep 7, 2026

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🟢 Approval recommended

The change is documentation-only and low risk, with only a minor formatting consistency nit noted.

Pull request overview

Updates the Heads wiki TPM PCR documentation to correct the historical/current status of PCR 16, aligning the wiki text with the known evolution of calcfuturepcr behavior described in the PR.

Changes:

  • Replaces the outdated PCR 16 description with a more accurate historical explanation and notes that PCR 16 is now unused.
  • Clarifies that later implementations replay from the cbmem -L event log rather than using a scratch PCR.
File summaries
File Description
About/Keys.md Updates PCR 16 documentation to reflect historical usage and current non-use.
Review details
  • Files reviewed: 1/1 changed files
  • Comments generated: 1
  • Review effort level: Lite

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Comment thread About/Keys.md

(16): Used for TPM futurecalc of LUKS header when setting up a TPM disk
encryption key
(16): Not measured or read by Heads. Historically used as scratch PCR by
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2 participants