The trustworthiness of hardware components has become a pressing concern in today’s technology landscape. Veteran hardware hacker Andrew “Bunnie” Huang has been at the forefront of addressing this issue, particularly focusing on silicon chips. Historically, the trustworthiness of these chips—essential for high-assurance applications and critical infrastructure—has been difficult to ascertain. Huang highlights that much of this difficulty stems from the ‘black box’ nature of silicon chips, which are rarely derived from open-source designs. Many of these chips are encased in opaque black epoxy, hindering any attempts at examination or verification without potentially damaging the component itself.

In response to these challenges, Huang has introduced the Baochip-1x, a cutting-edge piece of open-source silicon that he has designed and fabricated through TSMC at an advanced 22-nanometer scale. The Baochip-1x aims to progress the discourse surrounding hardware trustworthiness by facilitating greater transparency and enabling users to have a much clearer understanding of the internal workings of their devices.

Huang conveys his vision succinctly: “Baochip tries to make progress on that front, that foundational exercise of, ‘Can we do something meaningful in terms of understanding what’s inside of our hardware, and also, change the ground rules of how we engage with that?'” Central to this initiative is the publication of the chip’s code, known as its register-transfer level (RTL). In addition, Huang has released a reference image of the chip that depicts its expected appearance.

One of the standout features of the Baochip silicon is its capability for visual hardware attestation. Designed to be observable through infra-red, in situ inspection of silicon, or IRIS, it allows users to physically inspect the chip’s transistors. This visual confirmation enhances trust as it ensures that the chip’s actual construction aligns with its RTL description without necessitating its destruction for inspection. Huang emphasizes the importance of this functionality in mitigating concerns related to supply-chain attacks, mid-level adversaries who may tamper with products, or even state-level threats.

The Baochip is poised to empower developers working on high-assurance applications by providing a cost-effective, security-centric chip that also incorporates memory protection. Moreover, it features a complete, Rust-based boot chain that is open-source and easily attested. Huang passionately explains how this technology can potentially transform the landscape of hardware security, suggesting that the hacking community can use it to develop more secure Internet of Things (IoT) devices, as well as trusted hardware security tokens.

During an insightful video interview with ISMG, Huang elaborated on several intriguing aspects of his work, including the following points:

• The inevitability of various silicon-targeting attacks and the ways in which they can be constrained;
• The potential of large language models to design and secure applications tailored for open-source silicon;
• His vision for fostering a more transparent, secure, and community-oriented hardware ecosystem through open-source initiatives.

Andrew “Bunnie” Huang, the founder and CEO of Baochip, is well known in the tech world for his groundbreaking work hacking the Microsoft Xbox and for his pioneering efforts in open-source hardware design. His previous projects include notable inventions like the chumby (an Internet-connected alarm clock), chibitronics (craft-oriented electronics), Novena (a DIY laptop), and Precursor (a trustworthy mobile device). Huang’s academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from MIT, attained in 2002. Currently residing in Singapore, he operates a private product design studio, Kosagi. Huang’s ongoing research primarily focuses on establishing trust in technological solutions, an endeavor made all the more critical by the rapidly evolving threat landscape.