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The RP2350 is an inexpensive microcontroller IC with reasonable performance and some very useful (and somewhat unusual) features in its PIO blocks. Why wouldn'
by ssl-3 9d ago
The RP2350 is an inexpensive microcontroller IC with reasonable performance and some very useful (and somewhat unusual) features in its PIO blocks.
Why wouldn't a person build that into the heart of something important?
- sephamorr 9d ago"Important" and "tamper proof against a determined adversary" are very different goals.
- jacquesm 9d agoTamper proof against a determined adversary starts at 'call us' not at '$10'.
- stackghost 9d ago>Why wouldn't a person build that into the heart of something important? Because it's inexpensive and not designed to be tamper-resistant. If preventing this type of thing is your goal there are chips out there designed to break irrepairably if tampered with.
- rcxdude 9d agoRp2350s are advertised as having quite a few anti-tamper functions. They had a bounty when it launched to find similar vulnerabilities and they worked to patch the ones that were found. This is a lot more credible than a lot of advertised anti-tamper features.
- crote 8d agoNot really. The RP2350 just adds some bog-standard security features the ESP32 family and plenty of others have had for ages, that's all. The goal of the bounty is to demonstrate that they aren't just a company making toys for hobbyists, and that they can be relied upon by the industry for basic IoT-level products. They are saying "it won't be completely trivial to extract your proprietary firmware", not "use this chip for your next HSM".
- alnwlsn 9d agoDepending on what sort of important you're talking, those ICs don't have the usual "something important" environmental specs, like an extended temperature range, or certification for automotive use or safety critical applications, for one thing.