Here you can find details of the ARM Morello platform.
ARM Morello is a platform developed by Arm in collaboration with the University of Cambridge as part of the UK government’s Digital Security by Design (DSbD) programme. It integrates the CHERI (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions) technology into an advanced processor architecture that builds security directly into the hardware and addresses the root causes of many long-standing software vulnerabilities.
CHERI redefines how processors manage memory and enforce access control. Instead of relying on traditional numerical addresses that allow unrestricted access to system memory, CHERI uses capabilities, which are hardware-enforced references that include bounds, permissions and validity information. This prevents software from reading or writing memory outside authorised areas and blocks many common security flaws such as buffer overflows and use-after-free bugs.
At the core of the platform is the Morello System-on-Chip (SoC), which combines a high-performance ARMv8-A processor with CHERI extensions. The accompanying Morello board provides a complete environment for developing and testing secure-by-design software components. Its software stack includes Morello Linux and an adapted LLVM/Clang toolchain, allowing developers to use familiar tools while building applications that make direct use of CHERI’s hardware capabilities.
Morello represents a major step in the industrialisation of capability-based security. By embedding protection directly in the processor, it supports the development of safer operating systems, browsers, IoT devices and cloud platforms, reducing reliance on software-only defences. This hardware foundation lays the groundwork for a new generation of computing systems that are inherently more resilient.
Through the Morello programme, Arm and its partners are helping industry adopt CHERI technology and plan future product integration. Morello provides a platform where organisations can build, test and validate capability-based security approaches that will shape the next wave of secure computing.