Zephyr NXP Driver Security Support

[Emil_10]

Setup
Im developing a wifi app for a FRDM-RW612. I am using Zephyr.

Context

After enabling the NXP wifi driver, I successfully connected to a standard home wifi using the security type WIFI_SECURITY_TYPE_PSK.

Now I want to connect to a business network using the protocol "EAP-PEAP/MSCHAPv2" or as Zephyr enumerates it: WIFI_SECURITY_TYPE_EAP_PEAP_MSCHAPV2 This turns out to be quite the problem. After investigating the driver, I discovered that there is no specific check for WIFI_SECURITY_TYPE_EAP_PEAP_MSCHAPV2, though there are many others.

Also, none of the applicable options allow for a "user, password" structure. As I understand it, the driver does not seem to support such wifi authentication at this time, and thus does not support "EAP-PEAP/MSCHAPv2".

Questions

What security is supported by the Zephyr NXP wifi driver?
Is there a way to connect using EAP-PEAP/MSCHAPv2 with the nxp zephyr wifi driver?
Does the FRDM-RW612 support EAP-PEAP/MSCHAPv2 if I do not go through Zephyr?

[Emil_10]

Quick recap for future readers(31/3/2025):
Does the FRDM-RW612 support EAP-PEAP/MSCHAPv2 if I do not go through Zephyr?
Yes in MCUXpresso SDK 24.12.00 the exaple "wifi_wpa_supplicant" can connect using EAP-PEAP/MSCHAPv2 authentication

[Ricardo_Zamora]

Hello,

Hope you are doing well. Could you please clarify what application are you using?

What versions are you using?

Also, are you following any guide?

Regards,

Ricardo

[Emil_10]

First of all, thanks for taking the time to help, I appreciate it.

Of course I will try to clarify.

Versions

Im using the zephyr on its current main, which would be version "4.1.99".

The NXP hal used on this version has the hash

9dc7449014a7380355612453b31be479cb3a6833

commit: "HEAD is now at 9dc74490 hal_nxp: Include LP Flexcomm driver using the right Kconfig"

Sample

Here i use sample "samples/net/wifi/apsta_mode". It can be found here:
zephyr/samples/net/wifi/apsta_mode at main · zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr · GitHub

I had to modify it slightly by adding the kconfig "CONFIG_WIFI_NXP". I also updated the example to use my wifi network. I disabled the AP mode as I do not need it.

The example works well with a "standard" home wifi using only password and WPA2-psk security. I can also see on my access point that the RW612 is successfully connected.

However, when I try to connect to an enterprise network with user and password using EAP-PEAP-MSCHAPV2 security, the connection fails. The nxp simply doesn't event try to connect. I also see on the access point that no one has tried to connect. I have configured the connect call as follows:

    sta_config.ssid = (const uint8_t *)WIFI_SSID;

    sta_config.ssid_length = strlen(WIFI_SSID);

    sta_config.eap_identity = WIFI_USERNAME;

    sta_config.eap_id_length = strlen(WIFI_USERNAME);

    sta_config.eap_password = WIFI_PASSWORD;

    sta_config.eap_passwd_length = strlen(WIFI_PASSWORD);

    sta_config.security = WIFI_SECURITY_TYPE_WPA_AUTO_PERSONAL;

    sta_config.channel = WIFI_CHANNEL_ANY;

    sta_config.band = WIFI_FREQ_BAND_2_4_GHZ;

    LOG_INF("Connecting to SSID: %s\n", sta_config.ssid);

    int ret = net_mgmt(NET_REQUEST_WIFI_CONNECT, sta_iface, &sta_config,

               sizeof(struct wifi_connect_req_params));

After debbuging i arrived here in the NXP zephyr driver.

zephyr/drivers/wifi/nxp/nxp_wifi_drv.c at main · zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr · GitHub

It seems that the supported security here is limited to:

• No security.
• WPA2-PSK security.
• WPA2-PSK-SHA256 security.
• WPA3-SAE security.
• WPA3-SAE security with hash-to-element.
• WPA3-SAE security with both hunting-and-pecking loop and hash-to-element enabled.
• WPA/WPA2/WPA3 PSK security.

Full list of types in zephyr is here:
Zephyr API Documentation: Wi-Fi Management

Am i using the wrong wifi driver?

Is there maybe a NXP wifi driver branch in development i can check out?

Is the problem just zephyr-NXP related would it be possible to do with the NXP SDK?

[Ricardo_Zamora]

Hello,

Please find following table with supported features list.

Wi-Fi requirements	Is supported in Zephyr 4.1.0 release?
“WIFI_SECURITY_TYPE_EAP_PEAP_MSCHAPV2" security	it is supported in WPA2 mode.(with hostapd)
2,4 & 5 GHz	Yes
TLS 1.2 & TLS 1.3 for WPA 2 & 3 private and enterprise	TLS 1.2 supported. Currently no Wi-Fi sample app is available with TLS 1.3.  if need to add support of TLS1.3, you need to create CCB for this to support
NTP v 4	SNTP is application layer protocol. if zephyr supports SNTP version 4 then it should work on Wi-Fi interface. As per  https://docs.zephyrproject.org/latest/connectivity/networking/api/sntp.html, zephyr supports NTP v 4.
IPv6 SLAAC	RW612 Wi-Fi interface supports IPv6 SLAAC as it utilizes the zephyr networking stack, which includes support for IPv6 SLAAC. Overview — Zephyr Project Documentation
Network Stack (TCP/IP, https, DHCP)	RW612 Wi-Fi interface supports TCP/IP, https and DHCP as it utilizes the zephyr networking stack, which includes support for TCP/IP, https, DHCP

Regards,

Ricardo

[Emil_10]

Hello 

Thanks for this info its very helpfull. However could it be that this is not for all boards? 

zephyr

When i try using the RW612 in zephyr this is my result:

Here i used the "wifi/shell".

NXP MCZXpresso SDK 24.12.0
I know the board can do it and that my net is correctly configured since in the NXP SDK i see:

So as of now it seems that the RW612 definitely supports the authentication type.

However i am still struggling to reproduce the connection when using the zephyr SDK. Would it be possible to elaborate what you mean by "it is supported in WPA2 mode".
Is there a NXP wpa2 Kconfig or something?

Again thanks for helping me out