nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

AHaug — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 10:30:32 GMT

Hi,

This API is used for sending:

https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/Android-nRF-Connect-Device-Manager/blob/fc9b6091de37a19e913d90ff87b3a181c616a66f/mcumgr-core/src/main/java/io/runtime/mcumgr/dfu/mcuboot/FirmwareUpgradeManager.java#L332

And here set is created

https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/Android-nRF-Connect-Device-Manager/blob/fc9b6091de37a19e913d90ff87b3a181c616a66f/mcumgr-core/src/main/java/io/runtime/mcumgr/dfu/mcuboot/model/ImageSet.java#L60

And here zip is unpacked:

https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/Android-nRF-Connect-Device-Manager/blob/main/sample/src/main/java/io/runtime/mcumgr/sample/utils/ZipPackage.java

Another comment is that but seems that the easiest way for you will be to change the order in manifest.json file for DFU package, i.e manually change the order in this file (netcore first and then app core) and it should be enough

Let me know if this works,

Kind regards,
Andreas

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

Hayden Ball — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 09:19:51 GMT

Thank you AHaug

Are you able to provide an example of how to do this using the Android and iOS libraries at https://github.com/nordicSemiconductor/Android-nRF-Connect-Device-Manager and https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/IOS-nRF-Connect-Device-Manager please - this issue continues to block our product launch.

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

AHaug — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 08:20:14 GMT

Hi again,

Here's an update from internally. There's a workaround that you can use below. W.r.t for a PR for a fix for this issue, I'm afraid it will take some time, specially since the workaround seems to work. Please report back if the suggestion does not work as intended.

Changing the update sequence from:

Upload the app core image using mcumgr
Upload the net core image using mcumgr
Activate the app core image using mcumgr
Activate the net core image using mcumgr
Reboot

to:

Upload the net core image using mcumgr
Upload the app core image using mcumgr
Activate the net core image using mcumgr
Activate the app core image using mcumgr
Reboot

fixes the problem and MCUboot updates both the app core and the net core once again, even with SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE=y.

Kind regards,
Andreas

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

AHaug — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 08:19:45 GMT

Initial comment (without testing): "It looks like the PR is overall ok, except for the lack of nrf tag"

Kind regards,
Andreas

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

AHaug — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 07:25:07 GMT

Hi,

Thanks for letting me know. I've let the developers know about the urgency

Kind regards,
Andreas

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

Hayden Ball — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:03:11 GMT

Thanks AHaug

If the team have any feedback I'd really appreciate it - this is blocking our product beta launch.

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

AHaug — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 09:06:47 GMT

Hi,

Alexander let me know you had commented here

[quote user="Hayden Ball"]This feels like there is a deeper problem, as Bogdan Marinescu has mentioned, and this solution masks the actual problem.[/quote]

There still could be a problem indeed. I see the reviewers are on it and I've reached out to them and asked for some input and shared the context of this case with them. If it becomes relevant, I will relay any info from them to you through here

Kind regards,
Andreas

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

Hayden Ball — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:40:50 GMT

I _think_ this is fixed by github.com/.../444

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

Hayden Ball — Fri, 30 May 2025 14:37:29 GMT

To add, this is easily reproducible following https://academy.nordicsemi.com/simultaneous-updates-for-both-cores-of-the-nrf5340/, then setting `SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE=y`

The resulting diff is the following:

diff --git a/applications/ipc_radio/VERSION b/applications/ipc_radio/VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d04d4847
--- /dev/null
+++ b/applications/ipc_radio/VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+VERSION_MAJOR = 5
+VERSION_MINOR = 0
+PATCHLEVEL = 2
+VERSION_TWEAK = 0
+EXTRAVERSION =
diff --git a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/VERSION b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/VERSION
index 5e193c5dc..5d04d4847 100644
--- a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/VERSION
+++ b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/VERSION
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-VERSION_MAJOR = 3
+VERSION_MAJOR = 5
 VERSION_MINOR = 0
 PATCHLEVEL = 2
 VERSION_TWEAK = 0
diff --git a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/app.overlay b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/app.overlay
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fcc2e240f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/app.overlay
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+/ {
+       chosen {
+               nordic,pm-ext-flash = &mx25r64;
+       };
+};
diff --git a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/prj.conf b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/prj.conf
index 63a681872..a5e69d03e 100644
--- a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/prj.conf
+++ b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/prj.conf
@@ -15,3 +15,5 @@ CONFIG_BT_LBS_POLL_BUTTON=y
 CONFIG_DK_LIBRARY=y

 CONFIG_SYSTEM_WORKQUEUE_STACK_SIZE=2048
+
+CONFIG_NCS_SAMPLE_MCUMGR_BT_OTA_DFU=y
diff --git a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild.conf b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..88e9d7a29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+SB_CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_MCUBOOT=y
+SB_CONFIG_PM_EXTERNAL_FLASH_MCUBOOT_SECONDARY=y
+
+SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_NETCORE=y
+SB_CONFIG_MCUBOOT_UPDATEABLE_IMAGES=2
+SB_CONFIG_NETCORE_APP_UPDATE=y
+SB_CONFIG_MCUBOOT_NRF53_MULTI_IMAGE_UPDATE=y
+SB_CONFIG_MCUBOOT_MODE_OVERWRITE_ONLY=y
+
+SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE=y
+SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_NETCORE=y
diff --git a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/ipc_radio.conf b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/ipc_radio.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7fd7b3d06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/ipc_radio.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+CONFIG_SERIAL=y
+CONFIG_UART_CONSOLE=y
+CONFIG_LOG=y
diff --git a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/mcuboot.conf b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/mcuboot.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a567d5488
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/mcuboot.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+CONFIG_NORDIC_QSPI_NOR=y
+CONFIG_BOOT_MAX_IMG_SECTORS=256
diff --git a/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/mcuboot.overlay b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/mcuboot.overlay
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fcc2e240f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/bluetooth/peripheral_lbs/sysbuild/mcuboot.overlay
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+/ {
+       chosen {
+               nordic,pm-ext-flash = &mx25r64;
+       };
+};

Flashing this to a nRF5340 DK, then changing the version numbers in both version files, rebuilding, and attempting an OTA update, you see that the app core version changes in the banner, but the net core does not.

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

Hayden Ball — Fri, 30 May 2025 13:53:12 GMT

AHaug please can you advise how to achieve this using https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/Android-nRF-Connect-Device-Manager and https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/IOS-nRF-Connect-Device-Manager?

I'm seeing the same problem, and both of the above always upload the app core image first.

This feels like there is a deeper problem, as Bogdan Marinescu has mentioned, and this solution masks the actual problem.

Is there a way to fix this in firmware such that the "normal" order of app core, net core can be followed?

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

AHaug — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 12:50:28 GMT

I'm not sure why you're having issues when doing it the initial way, but if your solution works then it's a proper fix.

Let me know if you find any issues with this method after a while and we'll look closer into it.

Kind regards,
Andreas

RE: nRF5340: MCUBoot issue with multi image update when SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE is enabled

Bogdan Marinescu — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 13:47:09 GMT

I found a fix for this, although probably not the best one. Turns out that changing the update sequence from:

- Upload the app core image using mcumgr
- Upload the net core image using mcumgr
- Activate the app core image using mcumgr
- Activate the net core image using mcumgr
- Reboot

to:

- Upload the net core image using mcumgr
- Upload the app core image using mcumgr
- Activate the net core image using mcumgr
- Activate the app core image using mcumgr
- Reboot

fixes the problem and MCUboot updates both the app core and the net core once again, even with SB_CONFIG_SECURE_BOOT_APPCORE=y. Pretty sure that this "fix" only masks the main issue, but for now it does the job.