Exfiltrating Exception Data Across Secure/Non-Secure Boundaries in TrustZone-M

Session details:

TrustZone-M (ARMv8-M) partitions microcontrollers into secure and non-secure contexts, enforcing strict boundaries in hardware. As Cortex-M23/M33 devices become more common, developers face new challenges in handling low-level ARM hardware exceptions that span these contexts. Off-the-shelf solutions exist—but they’re limited, and many projects must implement their own.

This session provides a technical deep dive into exception handling in TrustZone-M: how to safely transfer exception data across secure/non-secure boundaries, avoid subtle traps, and ensure applications remain secure even under fault conditions. Attendees will gain insight into design patterns and test strategies tailored to teams who need to go beyond the defaults.

Joe Schneider, embedded systems veteran and CEO of Dojo Five, will share insights from real projects modernizing firmware under regulatory and security requirements.