Google makes Pixel 3 firmware Titan M security chip open source

Google makes the source code of the firmware of its Titan M security chips available under an open source license. Security experts can therefore check the code for any imperfections.

Google will “fully release” the source code sometime in the coming months, Xiaowen Xin, Google’s security project manager, told Wired. Google revealed at the announcement of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL that it had integrated a self-designed security chip into the smartphones.

In a statement, Google clarifies that the chip should help secure the boot procedure and plays a role in the storage of user passcodes and decryption if the correct code is entered on the lock screen. In addition, the chip stores private keys, including third-party apps, and the hardware helps with authorization, including payments.

The Titan M is a scaled-down version of the Titan chip that Google uses for the servers of the Google Cloud Platform. This chip contains, among other things, a coprocessor for cryptography, a hardware random number generator, its own RAM and shielded flash storage.

Left the Titan, right the Titan M