Trusted Application Development
Powering Secure Embedded Systems
A Trusted Application (TA) is a secure software component that runs within a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). It ensures isolation and protection for cryptographic processing, secure storage, and access control.
SoCs powering ADAS, telematics solutions, and Infotainment system face persistent cybersecurity threats. Protecting sensitive memory segments and cryptographic keys is crucial to prevent unauthorized access and modifications, ensuring automotive system security.
Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) along with Trusted Applications act as isolated enclave to shield all operations involving sensitive data.
In modern automotive ECUs, a Trusted Application like the Secure OTA Firmware Update Manager ensures system integrity. It decrypts and validates firmware updates by verifying digital signatures and certificate chains. Rollback protection blocks outdated or vulnerable versions, keeping the vehicle secure and reliable.
Our cybersecurity teams in Germany and India develop such Trusted Applications (TAs) that isolate critical operations, safeguard sensitive data, and enforce strict access controls. These TAs are tailored for diverse platforms, including automotive ECUs, industrial IoT gateways, healthcare devices, consumer electronics, and EV charging systems. Some of the common trusted applications include Cryptographic Key Management, Data Encryption, Secure OTA update etc.
How Our Trusted Applications Enable Cybersecurity
Our Trusted Applications address critical challenges for customers requiring secure access, data protection, and cryptographic functionality. The TAs are built for Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to tackle critical cybersecurity needs. They secure access to sensitive hardware, protect data from tampering, and handle cryptographic operations without exposing keys.
Access to Restricted Peripherals
Some SoC peripherals, like OTP memory, are only accessible through the TEE. Our TAs enable secure access to manage unique IDs and anti-rollback counters.
Secure Cryptographic Operations
Cryptographic operations such as signing, encryption, and decryption often expose keys. Our TAs perform these securely within the TEE, ensuring keys remain protected.
Protecting Immutable Data
Critical data like certificate hashes or root keys need to be tamper-proof. Our TAs securely store this information to guarantee its integrity for validation processes.
Enforcing Rule-Based Updates
Some data, like anti-rollback counters, must only change under strict rules. Our TAs ensure updates are controlled, preventing unauthorized downgrades or vulnerabilities.
Success Stories: Trusted Applications
Hard and Soft OTP for Anti-Rollback and Immutable Data Storage
We developed a TA that provided both hard OTP and soft OTP functionality.
This allowed the client to store immutable data securely, ensuring that keys and other sensitive information remain confidential and protected from unauthorized access.
All tests were conducted using OP-TEE to ensure compatibility and performance.
Outcome:
- Implemented a robust anti-rollback protection mechanism.
- Ensured secure, tamper-resistant storage of critical data.
- Delivered the solution quickly and efficiently, leveraging prior expertise.
- Achieved a significant reduction in development time and cost due to familiarity with the setup and hardware.
Cryptographic Services as Building Blocks for Security
We developed a Trusted Application for standard cryptographic functions—encryption, decryption, signature verification, and authentication—tested using OP-TEE. These functions serve as the foundation building blocks for various secure use cases.
We developed a decryption module and integrity validator for the software update manager, enabling secure decryption and verification of update packages before installation.
Outcome:
- Delivered a flexible TA with reusable cryptographic operations.
- Improved security through standardized, well-tested cryptographic routines.
- Reduced overall development time by reusing validated components.
- Ensured high quality by using functional testing and CI pipelines.
Secure Event Logging Across Virtual Machines
A client needed an IDS event logging solution that allowed multiple VMs to access logs securely, while maintaining strict read/write controls.
We developed a Trusted Application to handle event logging. This TA implemented controlled access permissions, ensuring only authorized VMs could read or write to the logs. OP-TEE was used for testing, ensuring the implementation met the client’s security requirements.
Outcome:
- Provided a secure logging mechanism accessible by multiple VMs.
- Enforced strict access control policies.
- Delivered a reliable solution validated through rigorous testing.
- Reduced time and cost by applying previous development experience.
Blade Authentication for Secure Hardware Communication
Our team developed trusted application that ensured mutual authentication between components, enabling session key generation and encrypted communication over a trusted channel. Testing on OP-TEE confirmed the TA’s reliability and security.
Outcome:
- Successfully implemented mutual authentication.
- Ensured secure, encrypted communication between hardware components.
- Delivered a tested, secure solution based on clear requirements.
Our Trusted Application Development and Integration Services
Custom Trusted Applications
Custom Trusted Applications to meet unique requirements, including anti-rollback protection, secure logging, and performance-driven compliance.
Kinibi & OP-TEE Development Expertise
Development of secure TAs for both production hardware and virtual environments, leveraging Kinibi, QEMU, and OP-TEE.
Cryptography Services
End-to-end encryption, decryption, and key management solutions, secure signing etc. integrated with industry-leading cryptographic libraries such as OpenSSL.
GlobalPlatform API Integration & Linux-Based Libraries
Implementation of standardized APIs for secure communication, cryptographic operations, and custom libraries to wrap TA functionality for seamless Linux integration.
Custom Trusted Application Development: Value Adds
Speed to Market
Rapid development and deployment of Trusted Applications, ensuring quicker delivery of secure embedded solutions.
Automotive-Grade Quality
Compliant with ASPICE, ISO 21434, and other industry standards, providing robust, dependable results.
Cost Efficiency
Reusable components and best-cost country development practices lower project costs.
Ease of Integration
Clean, modular APIs that integrate smoothly with Linux, QNX, Autosar, and other rich OS environments.
Comprehensive Support
Fast response times for vulnerabilities, bug fixes, and ongoing system improvements.
Trusted Execution Environment Architecture
- Rich Execution Environment (REE):
- Hosts the main operating system (e.g., Linux) and standard applications.
- Includes the Client Application which interacts with secure functionality through a Wrapper Library.
- Wrapper Library:
- Acts as a bridge between the REE and TEE.
- Facilitates secure communication by wrapping TEE-specific API calls.
- Trusted Execution Environment (TEE):
- An isolated environment that runs the Trusted Application (TA) securely.
- Protects sensitive operations and data from the REE.
- TEE Implementation:
- The underlying system (e.g., OP-TEE) that ensures secure execution of the TA and enforces isolation from the REE.
Journey of a Trusted Application
01
Requirements Definition
The process begins by defining the exact security requirements. What data must be protected? What operations need to be secure? Is the goal to store cryptographic keys, validate firmware integrity, or handle DRM licensing?
02
Choosing a TEE Platform
Trusted Applications are developed to run within a specific TEE. Common TEE implementations include OP-TEE, Kinibi, and others. Selecting the right TEE depends on factors like hardware support, project requirements, and available development resources.
03
API and Interface Design
A TA communicates with the REE through a defined interface, often using standardized APIs such as those provided by GlobalPlatform. This ensures the TA can receive requests from the REE and perform secure operations in the TEE.
04
Implementation in a Secure Language and Framework
Most TAs are implemented in C due to their low-level control and efficiency. Secure coding practices are crucial, as vulnerabilities in TA code could expose sensitive data. Some platforms provide specific SDKs or development frameworks that include libraries, headers, and tools to streamline TA development.
05
Testing and Validation
Before deploying a TA, it undergoes rigorous testing. This includes functional testing to ensure the application behaves as intended, as well as security testing to identify and fix vulnerabilities. Emulators (like QEMU for OP-TEE) are commonly used in early stages to quickly test and debug the TA.
06
Integration and Deployment
Once verified, the TA is integrated into the device’s firmware or OS stack. Deployment involves securely loading the TA into the TEE’s storage and ensuring it can communicate with the REE’s client applications.
Where do you find Trusted Applications?
| Automotive Security | Media & Digital Rights Management | Device & Virtualized System Security | Firmware & Over-the-Air (OTA) Protection | Data Protection & Cryptography |
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FAQs on Trusted Applications and TEEs
A TEE is a secure area within a device’s main processor that isolates sensitive operations and data from the rest of the system.
It’s critical for protecting cryptographic keys, securing boot processes, and ensuring safe firmware updates, especially in automotive and IoT devices.
Trusted Applications (TAs) operate within the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), an isolated and secure area of the processor. When performing cryptographic operations like signing, encryption, and decryption, TAs ensure that sensitive keys never leave the TEE.
Here’s how they ensure security:
- Key Isolation: Cryptographic keys are securely stored and accessed only within the TEE. Even if the Rich Execution Environment (REE) is compromised, keys remain protected.
- Execution Security: TAs use the TEE to execute cryptographic algorithms, ensuring that operations are performed in a tamper-resistant environment.
- Standardized APIs: TAs leverage GlobalPlatform APIs for consistent and secure cryptographic operations, enabling interoperability and reducing vulnerabilities.
Yes, we specialize in custom TA development to meet unique requirements. Whether you need a TA for anti-rollback protection, secure event logging, runtime integrity checks, or digital rights management (DRM), we can design, implement, and integrate a solution that addresses your exact needs.
Our development process involves close collaboration to ensure that the TA aligns with your technical specifications, industry regulations, and performance expectations.
