nrf_cc3xx_mbedcrypto library
The nrf_cc3xx_mbedcrypto library is software library to interface with the Arm CryptoCell CC310 hardware accelerator that is available on the nRF52840 SoC and the nRF9160 SiP. The library adds hardware support for selected cryptographic algorithms.
Integration with Mbed TLS
The nrf_cc3xx_mbedcrypto library provides low-level integration with the Mbed TLS version provided in nRF Connect SDK. Some of the APIs expressed in this library use the Mbed TLS “alternative implementation” abstraction layer.
Note
It is not recommended to link to this library directly. Use the Nordic Security Module.
Supported cryptographic algorithms
The following tables show the supported cryptographic algorithms in the Arm CryptoCell CC310 hardware accelerator in nRF52840 and nRF9160, as well as the current state of support in the nrf_cc3xx_mbedcrypto library.
Note
If no Mbed TLS support is listed in limitations, it indicates that the hardware supports it, but it is not exposed in an API that works with Mbed TLS.
AES - Advanced Encryption Standard
Cipher |
Limitations |
---|---|
CTR |
128-bit |
CBC |
128-bit |
OFB |
128-bit, no Mbed TLS support |
CFB |
128-bit, no Mbed TLS support |
CMAC |
128-bit |
AEAD - Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data
Cipher |
Limitations |
---|---|
CCM/CCM* |
128-bit |
ChaCha-Poly |
128-bit |
Diffie-Hellman-Merkel
Supported for key sizes <= 2048 bits.
RSA
PKCS#1 v1.5 and v2.1 is supported for signing and encryption including:
RSASSA-PSS
RSAES-OEAP
Supported for key sizes <= 2048 bits.
Secure Hash
SHA-1 and SHA-256 is supported.
ECDSA and ECDH
ECDSA and ECDH is supported for the following elliptic curves:
SEC 2/NIST 186-4:
secp160r1
secp192r1
secp224r1
secp256r1
secp384r1
secp521r1
Koblitz:
secp160k1
secp192k1
secp224k1
secp256k1
Edwards/Montgommery:
Ed25519
Curve25519
Additional items in mbedtls_extra
These mbedtls_extra algorithms are supported, but are not in the Mbed TLS API.
AES key wrap functions
ECIES
HKDF
SRP, up to 3072 bits
Using the library
Providing platform specific calloc/free
Just like Mbed TLS, this library calls calloc()
and free()
for memory management.
The calloc()
and free()
functions can be changed with the following API:
int ret;
ret = mbedtls_platform_set_calloc_free(calloc_fn, free_fn);
if (ret != 0) {
/* Failed to set the alternative calloc/free */
return ret;
}
This API must be called prior to calling mbedtls_platform_setup()
.
Otherwise, the library will default to use the clib functions calloc()
and free()
.
PSA driver integration
Starting from version 0.9.13, the nrf_oberon library contains a companion library that provides PSA driver integration for select features. This must be used with the Nordic Security Module.
Supported features
The supported features for the PSA driver companion library are:
AES CTR/CBC/ECB/CCM (192/256 bit keys are only supported by CryptoCell 312)
AES GCM (only supported by CryptoCell 312)
ChaCha20 and Poly1305 (256 bit keys only)
ECDSA (secp224r1, secp256r1 and secp384r1 only)
ECDH
RSA (PKCS1V15 with 1024 bits keys only)
HMAC
CMAC (192/256 bit keys are only supported by CryptoCell 312)
HKDF
SHA-1
SHA-224
SHA-256
Initializing the library
The library requires initialization before use.
You can initialize it by calling the mbedtls_platform_setup()
/mbedtls_platform_teardown()
functions.
int ret;
static mbedtls_platform_context platform_context = {0};
ret = mbedtls_platform_setup(&platform_context);
if (ret != 0) {
/* Failed to initialize nrf_cc3xx_mbedcrypto platform */
return ret,
}
Note
There is no need to enable/disable the CC310 hardware by writing to the NRF_CRYPTOCELL->ENABLE
and NRF_CRYPTOCELL_S->ENABLE
registers.
This happens automatically when calling APIs in this library.
RNG initialization memory management
The nrf_cc3xx_mbedcrypto library allocates a work buffer during RNG initialization using calloc()
and free()
.
The size of this work buffer is 6112 bytes.
An alternative to allocating this on the heap is to provide a reference to a static variable inside the mbedtls_platform_context
structure type.
int ret;
static mbedtls_rng_workbuf_internal rng_workbuf;
static mbedtls_platform_context platform_context = {0};
platform_context.p_rnd_workbuf = &rng_workbuf;
ret = mbedtls_platform_setup(&platform_context);
if (ret != 0) {
/* Failed to initialize nrf_cc3xx_mbedcrypto platform */
return ret,
}
Usage restrictions
The library cannot be used in the Non-Secure Processing Environment (NSPE) of an application that uses ARM TrustZone.
The hardware can only process one request at a time. Therefore, this library has used mutexes to make the library thread-safe.