Ubuntu 26.04 installation failed in hardware-backed FDE mode on ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 Intel

[huypn12]

Given:

• ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 Intel (released 2024)
• Secure Boot enabled, factory reset (currently in user mode) and enabled, Microsoft 3rd Party CA enabled, mode is 'User'
• Secure chip (TPM) enabled, cleared
• Firmware updated to the latest version.

Reproduce:
First attempt:
Start Ubuntu 26.04 installation from USB without any modification. Select Hardware-backed full disk encryption mode.
Installation failed with the following error:

PCR_UNUSABLE
error with secureboot policy (PCR7) measurements: unexpected EV_EFI_BOOT_SERVICES_APPLICATION event for \PciRoot(0x0)\Pci(0x14,0x0)\USB(0x0,0x0)\HD(2,GPT,2fdf80be-e145-40c5-aa51-61a53ab5282e)\\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI after already seeing a verification event during the OS-present environment. This event should be for the initial boot loader

Second attempt:
Since the PCR error probably addressed in the commit 3f8b98c (PR #536), I do updated deb packages with sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y, then snaps with sudo snap refresh. Started Ubuntu 26.04 installation again with Hardware-backed full disk encryption mode.
Installation failed with the following error:

HOST_SECURITY
error with system security: encountered an error when checking Intel BootGuard configuration: no hardware root-of-trust properly configured: system is in manufacturing mode

This is strange because the state of secureboot is 'User' and I didnt reset it to manufacturing mode at all.

Further information:

huypn@huypn-ThinkPad-T14s-Gen-5:~$ fwupdmgr security
Host Security ID: HSI:3! (v2.1.1)

HSI-1
✔ BIOS firmware updates:         Enabled
✔ MEI key manifest:              Valid
✔ MEI manufacturing mode:        Locked
✔ csme18 override:               Locked
✔ csme18 v18.1.18.2724:          Valid
✔ Platform debugging:            Disabled
✔ SPI write:                     Disabled
✔ SPI lock:                      Enabled
✔ SPI BIOS region:               Locked
✔ Supported CPU:                 Valid
✔ TPM empty PCRs:                Valid
✔ TPM v2.0:                      Found
✔ UEFI bootservice variables:    Locked
✔ UEFI platform key:             Valid
✔ UEFI secure boot:              Enabled

HSI-2
✔ BIOS rollback protection:      Enabled
✔ Intel BootGuard ACM protected: Valid
✔ Intel BootGuard:               Enabled
✔ Intel BootGuard OTP fuse:      Valid
✔ Intel GDS mitigation:          Enabled
✔ IOMMU:                         Enabled
✔ Platform debugging:            Locked
✔ TPM PCR0 reconstruction:       Valid

HSI-3
✔ CET Platform:                  Supported
✔ Pre-boot DMA protection:       Enabled
✔ Suspend-to-idle:               Enabled
✔ Suspend-to-ram:                Disabled

HSI-4
✔ SMAP:                          Enabled
✘ Encrypted RAM:                 Not supported

Runtime Suffix -!
✔ CET OS Support:                Supported
✔ fwupd plugins:                 Untainted
✔ Linux kernel lockdown:         Enabled
✔ UEFI db:                       Valid
✘ Linux swap:                    Unencrypted
✘ Linux kernel:                  Tainted

This system has HSI runtime issues.
 » https://fwupd.github.io/hsi.html#hsi-runtime-suffix

Host Security Events
  2026-05-29 14:21:51:  ✔ BIOS rollback protection changed: Disabled → Enabled
  2026-05-19 15:09:01:  ✔ Kernel lockdown enabled
  2026-05-19 15:09:01:  ✔ UEFI db changed: Not found → Valid
  2026-05-19 15:09:01:  ✔ Secure Boot enabled
  2026-05-18 20:38:53:  ✘ Kernel is tainted

[simenesp]

I have the same issue on my Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11.

[huypn12]

I tried to disable Absolute Persistence Module, still encountered the same issue. I think APM is irrelevant here.
Edit: tried again with Absolute Persistent permanently disabled, still the same problem

[psjdev]

Same issue on my ThinkPad P1 Gen5

HOST_SECURITY
error with system security: encountered an error when checking intel bootguard configuration: no hardware root-of-trust properly configured: system is in manufacturing mode.

Running latest 26.10 daily release; all UEFI firmware is updated to the latest.

[dariuszd21]

I've run into the same issue while trying to install 26.04 LTS on Lenovo P14s gen 6 (intel 255H): PCR_UNUSABLE.
After updating system and snap packages before installation, I'm getting the same message as in the previous post: "...system is in manufacturing mode"

[dariuszd21]

I've got some time to dig it a bit further. It seems that problematic is this check:

secboot/efi/preinstall/check_host_security_intel_csme18.go

Lines 82 to 84 in 457b03a

	if regs.Hfsts6&hfsts6Csme18MfgLock == 0 {
	return true
	}

And according to this issue from fwupd it might work as expected on Lenovo laptops:
fwupd/firmware-lenovo#495

Here is the PR that removes the similar check with explanation:
fwupd/fwupd#8318

[huypn12]

I enrolled tpm2 manually but will try the installation again when i have a chance. Btw which TPM2 registers does the Ubuntu installation use by default? Where i can find the code which is in charge of it?