Firmware Extraction Series

General Tips for Firmware Reverse Engineering

Monday, August 15, 2022

Preface These notes were originally compiled years ago as a quick reference. They are somewhat fragmented and do not provide step-by-step procedures, but I continue to update them over time. …

Firmware Extraction Series: Firmware Media

Saturday, December 28, 2019

What is Firmware? Firmware, sometimes referred to as a firmware image (or simply “ROM” in mobile communities), resides in Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) and can be both read and written. In embedded systems, the most common NVM types are ROM (Read-Only Memory) and Flash memory. While strictly speaking, “ROM” includes Mask ROM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM, modern “mainstream ROM” usually refers to EEPROM integrated within an MCU. Flash memory typically serves as the primary external storage. …

Firmware Extraction Series: UBI Filesystem Extraction and Repacking

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Preface I originally wrote this post last year but accidentally set the GitHub repository to private and lost the README. After re-uploading, the context felt slightly dated, but the technical content remains relevant. …

Firmware Extraction Series: Reading Flash with flashrom

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Introduction to FlashROM It’s been over six months since my last post. The firmware extraction series has now reached Part 11. In my opinion, this topic isn’t particularly sensitive, so I’m sharing it openly. …

Firmware Extraction Series - SATA HDD Unlock

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Preface This post documents the journey of extracting data from a locked hard drive, including the various detours I took along the way. …

Firmware Extraction Series - Raw NAND File Recovery

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Preface This post documents the process of restoring the NAND Flash filesystem from an in-vehicle head unit. …

Firmware Extraction Series - SD Card Unlock

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Preface The SD card (Secure Digital Memory Card) is a NAND flash-based storage medium designed as a successor to the MMC (Multimedia Card). It is commonly found in multimedia players, cameras, and smartphones, and has since been widely adopted in IoT devices and automotive electronics. Physically, SD cards are categorized into three sizes: SD, miniSD, and microSD. …