[PATCH] ARM: mach-imx: tzasc: keep default region 0 secure settings for i.MX8M

Marco Felsch m.felsch at pengutronix.de
Wed Sep 3 05:41:29 PDT 2025


On 25-09-03, Sascha Hauer wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 01, 2025 at 12:29:37PM +0200, Marco Felsch wrote:
> > The TZC-380 region 0 is the TZC default (fallback) region. This region
> > is used if access to a certain DRAM address was done which isn't
> > configured by any other region (see [1] for more information). Region 0
> > covers the complete AXI space from 0x0 to AXI-bus width. The access is
> > secure-only after reset.
> > 
> > The TZC-380 is not memory alias aware (see [1] for more information) and
> > due to the DDR controller, the i.MX8M allows memory alias access.
> > 
> > Configuring region 0 as secure + non-secure RW access opens the
> > potential security risk of allowing access to secure only memory e.g.
> > TEE memory area if the TEE didn't configure all memory aliases for its
> > memory. Because in such case region 0 could be used as fallback if an
> > attackers access the TEE memory via memory aliases.
> > 
> > Don't reconfigure TZC-380 default region 0 to allow secure and
> > non-secure access and instead setup an early non-secure region 1 which
> > covers the complete ram <= 4G size to fix this.
> > 
> > [1] https://developer.arm.com/documentation/ddi0431/c
> > 
> > Signed-off-by: Marco Felsch <m.felsch at pengutronix.de>
> > ---
> >  arch/arm/mach-imx/tzasc.c | 19 ++++++++++++++-----
> >  1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
> > 
> > diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-imx/tzasc.c b/arch/arm/mach-imx/tzasc.c
> > index 0fe7f6eb7f4a..31664bbf2b39 100644
> > --- a/arch/arm/mach-imx/tzasc.c
> > +++ b/arch/arm/mach-imx/tzasc.c
> > @@ -345,6 +345,7 @@ bool imx6_can_access_tzasc(void)
> >  void imx8m_tzc380_init(void)
> >  {
> >  	u32 __iomem *gpr = IOMEM(MX8M_IOMUXC_GPR_BASE_ADDR);
> > +	resource_size_t ram_sz;
> >  
> >  	/* Enable TZASC and lock setting */
> >  	setbits_le32(&gpr[10], GPR_TZASC_EN);
> > @@ -364,13 +365,21 @@ void imx8m_tzc380_init(void)
> >  	if (cpu_is_mx8mn() || cpu_is_mx8mp())
> >  		setbits_le32(&gpr[10], GPR_TZASC_ID_SWAP_BYPASS_LOCK);
> >  
> > +	/* All i.MX8M do have a 32-bit bus width except for the i.MX8M Nano */
> > +	ram_sz = imx8m_barebox_earlymem_size(32);
> > +	if (cpu_is_mx8mn())
> > +		ram_sz = imx8m_barebox_earlymem_size(16);
> 
> earlymem_size is limited to the 32bit address space. What about the DRAM
> above the 32bit address space? Don't we make this inaccessible with this
> patch?

A problem would arise if the USB Core uses memory above 4G. I've tested
the i.MX8MP USB download and it's still working with this patch. I
assume that the USB-Core is only 32-bit capable.

The problem would also arise if the barebox <-> OP-TEE exchange data
location would be above 4G. Right now barebox doesn't exachange any data
with OP-TEE in case of i.MX8M platforms.

For possible exchange the barebox-scratch area could be used, which is
at end of the RAM, right? Is there a way to read-back the configured RAM
size?

Regards,
  Marco



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