Technology
GrapheneOS halts Pixel 11 port over dropped memory tagging support
Developers state that Google appears to have omitted ARM hardware memory tagging from the Pixel 11 series, preventing a full operating system port.
The short version
- The GrapheneOS project suspended work on its Pixel 11 port after a week of development.
- Developers reported that the Pixel 11 lacks ARM hardware memory tagging (MTE) support across software, firmware, and hardware.
- The project asserted that Google likely removed the security feature to cut production costs.
Key facts
- The GrapheneOS development team created a partial port for the Pixel 11 series after one week of development.[Hacker News]
- GrapheneOS announced it cannot complete the port due to an absence of ARM hardware memory tagging (MTE) support in the Pixel 11's software, firmware, and hardware.[Hacker News]
- GrapheneOS claimed that Google appeared to omit the MTE security feature to reduce costs.[Hacker News]
What remains uncertain
- Google has not publicly confirmed whether the omission of hardware memory tagging on the Pixel 11 was intentional or cost-driven.[Hacker News]