Today, November 27, as part of the in-person study week, Vitaliy Novoselskyi, a PhD student in Software Engineering (Specialty F2) and a Full Stack Developer, held a lecture on the topic "The Anatomy of Firmware (Software) of Home Devices."
The lecture focused on demystifying embedded systems and exploring the practical aspects of security for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
The attendees were introduced to firmware architecture — from simple microcontrollers to full-fledged Embedded Linux systems and smartphones. The main focus was on dispelling the myth of firmware as an incomprehensible "black box" and fostering an understanding of exactly how researchers and attackers analyze the software of routers and other smart gadgets.
The practical session demonstrated reverse engineering techniques using the binwalk tool. The firmware structure was analyzed in real-time, key components (bootloader, uImage kernel) were identified, and the file system was successfully unpacked. Participants saw firsthand examples of vulnerabilities and defense methods "from the inside" by exploring the directory structure and configuration files of the extracted systems.
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