OWASP BareMetal

BareMetal is an open-source security architecture and threat modeling project focused on low-level software and hardware security. It provides a structured, implementation-driven approach to designing and securing modern computing platforms, including:

• Secure Boot & Attestation – Establishing a trusted execution environment from the moment a device powers on.
• Memory Protection & Process Isolation – Enforcing hardware-backed security controls to prevent exploits like buffer overflows, side-channel attacks, and privilege escalation.
• Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) & Secure Elements – Utilizing ARM TrustZone, TPMs, and other hardware security modules for secure execution and cryptographic operations.
• Firmware & Embedded Security – Protecting low-level firmware against modification, rollback, and supply chain attacks.
• OS Kernel & Hypervisor Security – Implementing kernel hardening, secure inter-process communication (IPC), and virtualization-based security.
• Hardware Security Integration – Leveraging secure enclaves, hardware-backed encryption, and integrity verification mechanisms.
• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) for Handheld Devices – Exploring practical implementation of PQC algorithms in resource-constrained environments.

BareMetal is designed to be a practical reference for security engineers, firmware developers, and embedded system architects who need to build secure, high-assurance computing environments from the ground up.

Road Map

Phase 1: Research & Scoping (Months 1-2)

• Identify core low-level security principles and methodologies.
• Define document structure with sections on firmware, OS, memory, and hardware security.
• Collect relevant industry case studies on low-level security breaches and mitigations.
• Threat Modeling for physical electronic devices

Phase 2: Initial Draft & Review (Months 3-6)

• Develop foundational sections on secure boot, attestation, and memory protection.
• Publish the first version for review by security engineers and low-level software developers.
• Establish a peer review process with industry professionals and OWASP contributors.

Phase 3: Refinement & Expansion (Months 7-10)

• Add deep-dive sections on TEE architectures, kernel security, and firmware hardening.
• Expand hardware security topics, including TPMs, secure elements, and silicon security.
• Introduce post-quantum cryptography (PQC) support for handheld devices, covering:
• Feasibility of PQC on resource-constrained devices
• Hardware-accelerated PQC implementations
• Integration with secure elements and TEEs
• Performance trade-offs and attack surface analysis

Phase 4: Long-Term Growth & Industry Collaboration (Ongoing)

• Open contributions to firmware security engineers, OS developers, and hardware security specialists.
• Integrate findings with other OWASP security research initiatives.
• Engage with the security community through publications, discussions, and conference presentations.
• Continue research on post-quantum security measures, adapting to emerging NIST PQC standards and hardware-accelerated cryptographic frameworks.