Persistent Firmware Mismatch / Potential Security Issue on HP Chromebook

[Carl G]

Hello,

I am writing to report a persistent firmware issue on my HP Chromebook, which arose following a critical update attempt on August 19th.  

I tried to contact Google regarding this, but apparently nobody was aware if it's normal or not to see such warning???!!!???

Device Details:

• Model: HP Chromebook x360 14b-cd0008ca

• Product Number: 9U606UA

Description of the Issue and History

1. Initial Update Failure (August 19): I experienced a boot loop after the August 19th update, displaying a message such as "Please do not shut down your Chromebook, this update will last about 1-2 minutes." I performed multiple hard resets and Internet/USB restorations. The loop finally appeared to complete successfully on August 21st.

2. Current Log Warning: Despite the update appearing to finish and the device seeming to function normally, the following message persistently appears in the verified boot logs:

   Report UMA metrics: System firmware mismatched OS bundled firmware.

Troubleshooting Steps Already Taken

• Manually checking for Chrome OS updates.

• Rebooting the device multiple times.

• Performing hard resets.

Request

My concern is that this persistent firmware mismatch indicates a critical failure during the firmware installation, potentially leaving my Chromebook vulnerable by missing essential security patches.

Could you please:

1. Tell me if you also see this error message in your verified_boot logs?

2. If you can, verify if the system firmware is currently up-to-date and correctly aligned with the version expected by the OS.

3. Guide me on the necessary steps to resolve this mismatch and ensure my Chromebook is fully secure?

Thank you for your assistance.

Carl

[Muhammad Arfan Syahmi Muhammad Azmi]

Hey Carl,

I saw your message about your HP Chromebook, and wow, that sounds incredibly frustrating and stressful, especially after that August 19th update loop. I can only imagine how annoying it is to see that persistent warning even after you thought you fixed it.

It's completely understandable that you're worried about security—you're right to flag that!

Here's the deal: I did some digging based on that specific error message you found ("Report UMA metrics: System firmware mismatched OS bundled firmware").

1. What the Message Means: It pretty much confirms what you suspected. It looks like the ChromeOS update (the operating system) finished installing, but the crucial companion update for the firmware (the low-level software that runs the hardware) didn't complete properly back on August 19th. Even though the Chromebook works, the OS is constantly seeing the "wrong" version of the firmware, which is a definite security risk.

2. Why the Restores Didn't Work: The basic hard resets and internet restores you tried are usually great for fixing OS issues, but they don't always aggressively force a complete re-flash of the entire system firmware.

The Fix: A Full System Reset (The Nuclear Option, but Necessary)

To force the OS and the firmware to finally synchronize and install the correct, current versions, we need to do a complete, deep re-image. This is called a ChromeOS Recovery.

⚠️ Important Warning: This process will erase everything local—anything in your Downloads folder will be gone. Please, please make sure you back up anything you need (photos, documents, etc.) to Google Drive or an external USB stick before starting.

Here are the steps to do a proper Recovery. It takes about 20 minutes, but it should solve this issue permanently:

Carl's Recovery Checklist:

1. Get the Gear: Find a spare USB flash drive (at least 8GB).

2. Make the Key: On a working computer (use a friend's, your work PC, etc.), go to the Chrome Web Store and install the Chromebook Recovery Utility extension. Use this tool to create a recovery drive for your specific model: HP Chromebook x360 14b-cd0008ca.

3. Enter Recovery Mode: Unplug everything from the Chromebook. Hold down the Esc key and the Refresh key (the circular arrow key above the '4' key) and then press the Power button briefly. Release the Power button first, then release the other two keys when you see the "ChromeOS is missing or damaged" screen.

4. Insert the USB: When prompted, insert the USB stick you just created.

5. Let it Run: Follow the on-screen instructions. The Recovery process will now install a fresh, clean version of both the OS and the matching system firmware. This is the step that should fix the mismatch.

6. Verify: Once it reboots and you log in, give it a day or two and check those logs again (if you know how). That warning message should be gone for good.

If that still doesn't fix it, then it's a super rare issue, and we'll escalate it again. But 99% of the time, this full Recovery fixes deep update failures like this.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes! I'm around if you get stuck.

Best,

Arfan