Technical research for real-world device security.
We focus on firmware integrity, device identity, privacy exposure, and operational resilience. Findings are documented for engineering teams and aligned with responsible disclosure.
Research highlights
Selected themes from our ongoing analysis and collaboration with device teams.
Secure update channels
Review of signing infrastructure, version rollback handling, and device-side verification logic.
Device trust anchors
Analysis of certificate provisioning, key storage, and identity lifecycle for fleets.
Telemetry data minimization
Mapping of data flows to reduce sensitive exposure and support privacy compliance.
Methods & tooling
We use a consistent, evidence-first workflow to identify, reproduce, and validate findings.
Firmware extraction
Acquisition, filesystem inspection, and secure update validation.
Ghidra-based binary analysis
Static analysis to trace input handling, auth logic, and command execution.
UART and serial analysis
Debug interface review and boot log validation for hidden access paths.
Protocol testing
Coverage of device-to-cloud communication, parsing, and auth boundaries.
Fix verification
Reproduction of mitigations to confirm impact reduction.
Lab techniques we rely on
We use practical, device-first methods to reproduce vulnerabilities and validate fixes.
- 01Firmware extraction, filesystem inspection, and configuration recovery.
- 02Ghidra-based reverse engineering to trace execution flow and input handling.
- 03UART and serial console analysis to surface hidden services.
- 04Unsafe input handling and command execution paths validated in controlled environments.
Case studies from the field
Our blog documents assessments across routers, cameras, industrial gateways, and cloud services.
Selected advisories
Examples from past engagements. Details are generalized to protect customer confidentiality.
Input validation weakness
Coordinated disclosure completed. Vendor patch released.
Firmware update bypass
Validation and remediation support. Fix verified in production.
Authentication bypass and command execution
Coordinated disclosure. Public advisory published post-fix.
Hard-coded credentials
Vendor remediation guidance delivered. Patch in release pipeline.
API access control gap
Access model hardened and re-tested before rollout.
Case study summaries
Representative examples derived from published research. All details are generalized to protect customer confidentiality.
Hidden admin page + command execution
Reverse engineering uncovered a concealed management endpoint that permitted command execution. Vendor released a fix and removed the hidden interface.
Diagnostic input validation weakness
Authenticated input handling allowed OS-level command execution. Mitigations included improved validation and patched firmware.
Hard-coded credentials in firmware
Firmware analysis revealed embedded credentials. Vendor guidance and updates removed default secrets and tightened access controls.
Remote execution via management endpoint
Command execution pathway was confirmed through a management binary. Fix validated post-release with regression checks.
Access control gaps
Authorization weaknesses enabled data exposure. Coordinated disclosure and firmware updates closed the gaps.
Industry estimates
High-level directional estimates for planning purposes.
Industry estimate: connected products audited show at least one high-risk exposure.
Industry estimate: delayed patch cycles extend beyond 90 days in IoT fleets.
Industry estimate: device identities lack automated rotation or revocation.
Disclosure practice
We prioritize responsible disclosure and coordinated timelines that protect customers while giving vendors time to remediate.
Intake & triage
Secure intake channels, evidence verification, and severity classification aligned to impact.
Coordination
Private vendor engagement, remediation tracking, and optional CVE coordination.
Publication
Advisories published only after fixes are available or under mutual agreement.
Research collaboration
We welcome coordinated research partnerships with manufacturers, platform providers, and operators.
Evidence you can ship with
Findings include reproducible steps, recommended mitigations, and validation checks to help teams resolve issues with confidence.