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Application & OT Security · Advanced

Anti-Rollback Protection

A mechanism that prevents installing older, vulnerable firmware or software versions after an update.

Definition

Devices store a minimum allowed version, often in fuses or protected storage, and the bootloader or updater refuses older signed images. Without it, attackers could downgrade to a signed but vulnerable version.

Example

A phone's bootloader refuses to boot a properly signed but older firmware image with a known exploit.

Exam tip

Signature checks alone do not stop downgrades.

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