AMD Restores TSME Memory Encryption on Ryzen 9000 Non-PRO CPUs With July BIOS Update

AMD said it would reinstate Transparent Secure Memory Encryption (TSME) protections on certain non-PRO Ryzen 9000-series desktop processors in an upcoming BIOS release in July after a recent update removed the option.

“Consumer AMD CPUs will once again offer encryption protections against physical attacks after facing user backlash for silently removing the feature”

Ars Technica

PCMag reported that AMD acknowledged a BIOS option to enable Memory Guard on certain non-PRO Ryzen 9000-series desktop processors "was previously available but was removed in a recent update."

Ars Technica

Ars Technica said the protection, known as TSME, encrypts the entire contents stored in memory to make data useless to adversaries performing cold boot attacks and similar intrusions requiring physical access.

Ars also described the removal as having happened "without warning or notice" and said it was impossible to detect on Windows machines and required technical work on Linux.

AMD’s reversal followed user outcry after the feature was stripped from consumer Ryzen processors, with Ars reporting that social media was deluged by comments from AMD consumers decrying the move.

OC3D said AMD confirmed that TSME support is returning to Ryzen 9000 series CPUs in July in response to "valuable community feedback" after the BIOS option to enable Memory Guard was removed in a recent update.

Tech Times

PCMag quoted AMD saying, "We will reinstate this option in an upcoming BIOS release in July," and also said AMD called TSME "a foundational security feature" with "no plans to remove support from our Ryzen PRO lineup."

Tech Times described the episode as a reversal of a silent security feature removal, quoting security researcher Joe FitzPatrick calling it "the worst of both possible worlds" for affected users who had built threat models around hardware-level RAM protection.

PCMag said AMD’s statement framed the issue as a BIOS option that was removed for certain non-PRO Ryzen 9000-series desktop processors, while emphasizing that it has "no plans to remove support from our Ryzen PRO lineup."

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PCMag

Ars Technica said the removal came solely as a result of firmware changes made in a recent update, and that with no physical changes required to silicon, continued support was largely, if not purely, a matter of will rather than necessity required by changes to hardware.

Tech Times added that TSME uses a dedicated AES hardware engine built into the AMD Secure Processor to generate a fresh encryption key at every boot, and that every byte written to DRAM is encrypted transparently without any involvement from the operating system or applications.

PCMag reported that AMD’s reinstatement is tied to an upcoming BIOS release in July, while also noting that AMD had previously removed the option in a recent update and that the company said it would restore it based on community feedback.