Hardware Hacking Expert - Level I - Full learning path: Mastering Embedded Systems and Communication Protocols

Get introduced to embedded systems and fundamental reverse engineering techniques. Learn the basics of sniffing interfaces, identifying system links, and understanding embedded system architectures. Gain foundational knowledge through real-world examples and scenarios, preparing you to dive deeper into hardware hacking and system exploitation.

Develop the mindset of a skilled hardware hacker by understanding key attack strategies and methodologies. Learn to think like an attacker, identify potential threats, and approach hardware targets systematically. Explore how time, resources, and attacker profiling shape effective hacking strategies, preparing you for practical hardware penetration testing and security analysis.

Master PCB and smart component analysis for hardware hacking. Learn to identify key entities like microcontrollers, processors, and supporting components based on physical layout and characteristics. Develop the foundational skills to analyze printed circuit boards, uncover vulnerabilities, and effectively reverse-engineer embedded hardware systems.

Master datasheet hunting to efficiently analyze hardware components and uncover critical information. Learn methods for sourcing, interpreting, and utilizing datasheets to identify vulnerabilities, understand component functionalities, and map PCB interactions. Enhance your reverse engineering skills by systematically dissecting embedded hardware through detailed datasheet analysis.

Discover the essential toolkit every hardware hacker needs. Explore fundamental tools for electronic and mechanical analysis, debugging, and exploitation. Learn how to select, organize, and effectively use tools tailored specifically for hardware hacking tasks, enhancing your proficiency and efficiency during reconnaissance, vulnerability identification, and hardware reverse engineering.

Explore fundamental concepts of wired communication protocols essential for hardware hacking. Learn why communication protocols are vital in embedded systems, distinguishing wired from wireless methods. Gain foundational knowledge of various protocol topologies, signal types, and applications to prepare for advanced hardware security analysis.

Master UART, a core wired communication protocol in embedded systems. Learn UART fundamentals, data framing, baud rates, troubleshooting, and practical exploitation techniques. Gain essential skills to analyze, reverse-engineer, and exploit UART interfaces, elevating your expertise in hardware hacking and embedded security.

Deepen your UART skills with advanced exploration of RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 standards. Understand their signaling, electrical characteristics, differential communication, and data framing. Gain hands-on experience analyzing, troubleshooting, and exploiting these protocols to strengthen your expertise in embedded system security.

Explore advanced SPI modes—Dual and Quad SPI ("SPI on steroids")—to significantly enhance data transmission speeds. Learn bidirectional communication techniques, signal management, and real-world applications. Gain hands-on experience analyzing, troubleshooting, and exploiting high-speed SPI for embedded system hacking and security research

Gain comprehensive knowledge of the I²C communication protocol, focusing on sessions, addressing, and message framing. Learn how masters and slaves interact, how sessions are established, and how messages are structured. Acquire practical skills for analyzing, troubleshooting, and exploiting I²C communications, essential for embedded system security testing and hardware hacking.

The JTAG protocol, a powerful tool for hardware debugging and hacking. Students explore JTAG architecture, data manipulation techniques, and security considerations. By the end of this class, students will have the skills to use JTAG for both legitimate debugging and advanced hardware exploitation.

Explore USB communication essentials, from control and interrupt endpoints to bulk and isochronous transfers. Gain in-depth insights into device-host interactions, configurations, and practical exploitation. Master analysis techniques and learn to troubleshoot, reverse engineer, and manipulate USB communications effectively for advanced hardware hacking expertise.

Explore CAN bus protocols in-depth, covering physical attributes, topologies, data framing, and communication mechanisms. Learn how to analyze CAN bus traffic, identify vulnerabilities, and perform practical exploitation. Gain real-world experience with CAN bus sniffing, troubleshooting, and security analysis, essential for automotive and embedded system hacking.

Gain a comprehensive understanding of wireless communication protocols, including principles of wireless data transfer, security vulnerabilities, and attack methodologies. Develop hands-on skills in analyzing, exploiting, and securing various wireless protocols. Through real-world scenarios, students learn to anticipate, detect, and defend against threats in diverse wireless communication environments.

Master RFID and NFC security from fundamentals to advanced exploitation. Learn architecture, communication protocols, vulnerabilities, and hands-on techniques for reading, writing, cloning, and attacking systems. Gain practical skills in identifying, executing, and defending against real-world attacks, equipping you to secure and exploit RFID and NFC technologies effectively.

Explore Bluetooth and BLE protocols, from foundational concepts and physical layer properties to advanced pairing mechanisms and advertising processes. Gain practical experience with specialized hardware tools (nRF52840, BleuIO) and understand potential security vulnerabilities and attack vectors, equipping you to analyze and exploit Bluetooth devices securely