Is secure flashing possible in i.MX8MQ?

[meetalipatel]

Hello NXP Team,

We are using i.MX8MQ processor in our project. We would like to know if we have any support for secure flashing on this processor or if we have a secure flashing option in MFGTool/UUU utility? If yes, is there any documents available that have the reference for the same? By secure flashing, what I mean is only correctly signed images must be allowed to flash on the processor, unsigned/incorrectly signed images must not be allowed to flash.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Meetali Patel

[meetalipatel]

Hello Community Members, 

 I have attached two images from the i.MX 8M Dual/8M QuadLite/8M Quad Applications Processors Reference Manual which says HAB is supported in serial downloader mode. Can anyone please help in understanding how HAB can be used in serial downloader mode?

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Meetali Patel

[igorpadykov]

> how HAB can be used in serial downloader mode?

one can look at case :

https://community.nxp.com/t5/i-MX-Processors/IMX6Q-HAB-issue-Download-signed-images-into-a-ldquo-clo...

Best regards
igor

[harshitshah]

Hi @igorpadykov ,

Thank you for the reply. 

The link which you provided is for signing the secure images on imx8mq.

But we wanted to have a mechanism where the images are verified first before flashing using uuu or another similar tool. So with this, we are planning to flash only if images are secured otherwise it should be failed to flash. (Similar to what is being mentioned in the i.MX8MQ RM snippet which Meetali has shared in the last thread, where before flash the system should first check whether the image is signed or not.)

Please share with us how that can be achieved using the uuu (or similar) utility. If no ready-made tool is available then can you please guide us how to achieve the same as per NXP's reference manual?

[igorpadykov]

Hi Harshit

I am afraid such ready to use tool is not available. For "mechanism where the images are verified first before flashing"

one can look at HAB APIs described in AN12263  HABv4 RVT Guidelines and Recommendations

and integrate them (verification images) in uuu sources :

https://github.com/NXPmicro/mfgtools

You can try to develop it yourself, or apply for

help to NXP Professional Services:  https://contact.nxp.com/new-prof-svcs-sw-tech

Best regards
igor

[igorpadykov]

Hi Meetali

>if we have any support for secure flashing on this processor or if we have a
>secure flashing option in MFGTool/UUU utility.. is only correctly signed images must
>be allowed to flash on the processor, unsigned/incorrectly signed images must not be allowed to flash.

I am afraid such option/utility is not available, sorry. For uuu documentation one can look at

https://github.com/NXPmicro/mfgtools/releases

Best regards
igor