Embedded Systems Security and Reverse Engineering

  1. Firmware Reverse Engineering
    1. Firmware Acquisition and Initial Analysis
      1. Firmware Image Acquisition Methods
        1. Manufacturer Website Downloads
          1. Official Firmware Releases
            1. Beta and Development Versions
              1. Historical Version Archives
              2. Hardware-based Extraction
                1. Flash Memory Dumping
                  1. EEPROM Reading
                    1. SD Card Extraction
                      1. Debug Interface Dumping
                      2. Update Process Interception
                        1. Network Update Capture
                          1. OTA Update Interception
                            1. USB Update Capture
                          2. Firmware File Format Analysis
                            1. Binary Image Formats
                              1. Raw Binary Analysis
                                1. Structured Binary Formats
                                  1. Compressed Image Formats
                                  2. Standard Firmware Formats
                                    1. Intel HEX Format
                                      1. Motorola S-record Format
                                        1. ELF Format Analysis
                                        2. Proprietary Format Analysis
                                          1. Custom Header Structures
                                            1. Encryption and Obfuscation
                                              1. Checksum and Integrity Verification
                                            2. Filesystem Extraction and Analysis
                                              1. Automated Extraction Tools
                                                1. Binwalk Usage and Configuration
                                                  1. Signature-based Carving
                                                    1. Entropy Analysis
                                                    2. Embedded Filesystem Types
                                                      1. SquashFS Analysis
                                                        1. JFFS2 Filesystem
                                                          1. YAFFS2 Filesystem
                                                            1. CramFS Analysis
                                                              1. UBIFS Analysis
                                                              2. Manual Filesystem Analysis
                                                                1. Filesystem Mounting Techniques
                                                                  1. Directory Structure Analysis
                                                                    1. Configuration File Extraction
                                                                      1. Executable Binary Identification
                                                                  2. Static Analysis of Firmware Binaries
                                                                    1. Disassembly and Decompilation Tools
                                                                      1. Professional Disassemblers
                                                                        1. IDA Pro Usage and Configuration
                                                                          1. Ghidra Analysis Framework
                                                                            1. Binary Ninja Platform
                                                                            2. Open Source Alternatives
                                                                              1. Radare2 Framework
                                                                                1. Cutter GUI Interface
                                                                                  1. Objdump Utilities
                                                                                  2. Architecture-Specific Considerations
                                                                                    1. ARM Assembly Analysis
                                                                                      1. MIPS Assembly Analysis
                                                                                        1. x86 Embedded Assembly
                                                                                          1. RISC-V Assembly Analysis
                                                                                        2. Assembly Language Understanding
                                                                                          1. ARM Instruction Set Architecture
                                                                                            1. ARM Mode Instructions
                                                                                              1. Thumb Mode Instructions
                                                                                                1. Thumb-2 Instructions
                                                                                                  1. NEON SIMD Instructions
                                                                                                  2. MIPS Instruction Set
                                                                                                    1. MIPS32 Instructions
                                                                                                      1. MIPS64 Instructions
                                                                                                        1. MicroMIPS Instructions
                                                                                                        2. Calling Conventions
                                                                                                          1. ARM AAPCS
                                                                                                            1. MIPS Calling Conventions
                                                                                                              1. Stack Frame Analysis
                                                                                                            2. Code Analysis Techniques
                                                                                                              1. Control Flow Analysis
                                                                                                                1. Function Identification
                                                                                                                  1. Basic Block Analysis
                                                                                                                    1. Call Graph Construction
                                                                                                                    2. Data Flow Analysis
                                                                                                                      1. Variable Tracking
                                                                                                                        1. Constant Propagation
                                                                                                                          1. Dead Code Identification
                                                                                                                          2. Cross-Reference Analysis
                                                                                                                            1. String Reference Analysis
                                                                                                                              1. Function Call Analysis
                                                                                                                                1. Memory Access Patterns
                                                                                                                              2. Identifying Critical Functionality
                                                                                                                                1. Cryptographic Implementation Discovery
                                                                                                                                  1. Symmetric Algorithm Identification
                                                                                                                                    1. Asymmetric Algorithm Identification
                                                                                                                                      1. Hash Function Implementation
                                                                                                                                        1. Random Number Generation
                                                                                                                                        2. Hardcoded Secret Detection
                                                                                                                                          1. Cryptographic Key Discovery
                                                                                                                                            1. Password and Credential Extraction
                                                                                                                                              1. Certificate and Token Analysis
                                                                                                                                              2. I/O and Peripheral Control Analysis
                                                                                                                                                1. Memory-mapped I/O Identification
                                                                                                                                                  1. Peripheral Register Access
                                                                                                                                                    1. Interrupt Handler Analysis
                                                                                                                                                    2. Communication Protocol Analysis
                                                                                                                                                      1. Protocol State Machine Analysis
                                                                                                                                                        1. Message Parsing Routines
                                                                                                                                                          1. Custom Protocol Implementation
                                                                                                                                                      2. Dynamic Analysis and Emulation
                                                                                                                                                        1. Emulation Environment Setup
                                                                                                                                                          1. QEMU Emulation Platform
                                                                                                                                                            1. ARM System Emulation
                                                                                                                                                              1. MIPS System Emulation
                                                                                                                                                                1. RISC-V System Emulation
                                                                                                                                                                  1. Custom Machine Configuration
                                                                                                                                                                  2. Full-System Emulation Techniques
                                                                                                                                                                    1. Bootloader Emulation
                                                                                                                                                                      1. Kernel Emulation
                                                                                                                                                                        1. Peripheral Emulation
                                                                                                                                                                        2. User-Mode Emulation
                                                                                                                                                                          1. Single Binary Emulation
                                                                                                                                                                            1. Library Emulation
                                                                                                                                                                              1. System Call Translation
                                                                                                                                                                            2. Dynamic Debugging Techniques
                                                                                                                                                                              1. Hardware-based Debugging
                                                                                                                                                                                1. JTAG Debugger Setup
                                                                                                                                                                                  1. SWD Debugger Configuration
                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Real-time Debugging
                                                                                                                                                                                    2. Emulation-based Debugging
                                                                                                                                                                                      1. GDB Integration
                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Breakpoint Management
                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Memory and Register Inspection
                                                                                                                                                                                          2. Trace Analysis
                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Instruction Tracing
                                                                                                                                                                                              1. Function Call Tracing
                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Memory Access Tracing
                                                                                                                                                                                              2. Fuzzing Embedded Software
                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Protocol Fuzzing Techniques
                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Network Protocol Fuzzing
                                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Serial Protocol Fuzzing
                                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Custom Protocol Fuzzing
                                                                                                                                                                                                      2. File Format Fuzzing
                                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Configuration File Fuzzing
                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Firmware Update Fuzzing
                                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Image Format Fuzzing
                                                                                                                                                                                                            2. Emulation-based Fuzzing
                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. AFL++ Integration
                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. Custom Fuzzing Harnesses
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Coverage-guided Fuzzing

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                                                                                                                                                                                                            2. Hardware Reverse Engineering and Analysis

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                                                                                                                                                                                                            4. Vulnerability Discovery and Exploitation