Implementing a hardware‐assisted memory management mechanism for ARM platforms using the B method

Abstract

ARM embedded devices are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, permeating many aspects of daily life. The security issues on ARM embedded devices are much more important in critical infrastructure. The trusted hardware technologies provide the trusted environments isolated from the untrusted part of the system. However, for some deficiency, the researchers focus on current hardware-assisted isolated mechanisms. Depending on the implementation of the protection mechanism, the software-based approaches are not efficient and the hardware-based approaches are not flexible. Moreover, these defense mechanisms need formal specification that is inadequate in recent research. B method is a state-based formal method, which provides a successive refinement mechanism. In this paper, we propose a hardware-assisted memory isolation protection mechanism, provide specifications and refinements using the B method, and implement the memory management system on an ARM-based platform. The evaluation results show that the proposed isolation protection mechanism is effective, and the automatic proof rate of machines is acceptable. KEYWORDSB method, formal specification, hardware-assisted, isolation protection INTRODUCTIONSmart embedded devices with OS on ARM platforms are deployed in automotive, medical, industrial, teaching technologies, and smart cities and in critical infrastructure. With the increasing growth of attacks originated by security threats and vulnerability exploitation, the security of intelligent embedded devices is of strategic importance. 1 Securing ARM embedded devices are challenging because they are special-purpose and resource-constrained. New capabilities of modern trusted hardware technologies allow for the execution of arbitrary code within trusted environments completely isolated from the rest of the system. The software/hardware isolation environment provides an underlying isolation, which enhances the security of embedded devices.Recent research focuses on two key points about current hardware-assisted isolated mechanisms. 2 One is the implementation of the protection mechanism. 3-7 In general, the software-based approaches are not efficient and the hardware-based approaches are not flexible. The theoretic support for these defense mechanisms is inadequate. The other is formal specification using formal methods. 8-10 However, the existing problems are as follows.(1) The existing implementation schemes are lack of effective formal analysis and verification, thus the determinacy of the security policies is difficult to guarantee.(2) The majority of formal models are in a high abstract level, and the applications in the real system are difficult. Motivated by the above research state of the art, the main objective of this work is to present our hardware-assisted memory management mechanism using the B method on ARM platforms. The B method is a formal method enabling the development of secure programs, which uses concepts of first order logic, set theory, and integer arithmetics to specify abstract state machines ...

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