Class 14a1 - Bypassing Secure Boot - Intro 1

Class 14a1 - Bypassing Secure Boot - Intro 1

In this advanced class, students examine secure boot as both a defensive measure and an exploitable weakness. The instructor first explains the purpose and flow of secure boot, showing how cryptographic checks are meant to prevent unauthorized code execution. From there, the weaknesses of real implementations are exposed. Students learn three practical bypass strategies: inducing faults to disrupt validation, forcing single-user mode to escalate privileges, and manipulating firmware images directly to subvert checks. This class makes clear that secure boot, while marketed as bulletproof, is often vulnerable to precise hardware-level intervention.

Learning Objective
Understand secure boot’s protections and apply multiple bypass techniques.

Training Outcomes

  • Describe the secure boot process and its intended protections

  • Identify weaknesses in implementation that open attack surfaces

  • Execute bypass techniques including fault injection, single-user login forcing, and firmware manipulation

Hands-On Experience

  • Trigger secure boot faults and observe validation failures

  • Alter boot parameters to drop into single-user mode

  • Manipulate firmware components to disable or weaken secure boot enforcement

Hardware Hacking Expert - Level 2 - Module 1: UART Hacking

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  • Links to tools & materials you should purchase:

About Module 01 – UART Hacking

  • Syllabus Module 01 – UART Hacking - Module 01.pdf

Class 01 - Why Hack UART?

  • Class 01 - Why Hack UART?

Class 02 - Identify UART pins

  • Class 02 - Identify UART pins

Class 03 - Sniffing Log

  • Class 03 - Sniffing Log

Class 04 - Bypassing Simple Login

  • Class 04 - Bypassing Simple Login
  • CrackLoginHash.py
  • rockyou.txt

Class 05 - UART and the OT World

  • Class 05 - UART and the OT World

Class 06 - Connecting to OT Comm Line

  • Class 06 - Connecting to OT Comm Line

Class 07 - Identifying the right wires

  • Class 07 - Identifying the right wires
  • ModBusEmulator-Client.py
  • ModbusEmulator-Server.py
  • OT_Sniffer.py

Class 08 - From OT to UART

  • Class 08a - From OT to UART
  • Class 08b - RS485 to UART Adaptors DIY - part 1
  • Class 08c - RS485 to UART Adaptors DIY - part 2

Class 09 - Sniffing OT Network

  • Class 09 - Sniffing OT Network

Class 10 - Reversing OT traffic

  • Class 10a - Reversing OT traffic - part 1
  • Class 10b - Reversing OT traffic - part 2
  • Class 10c - Reversing OT traffic - part 3
  • CRC-Brute.py
  • OT-Parser.py

Class 11 - true MITM on OT

  • Class 11a - true MITM on OT - part 1
  • Class 11b - true MITM on OT - part 2
  • Class 11c - true MITM on OT - part 3
  • Class 11d - true MITM on OT - part 4
  • Class 11e - true MITM on OT - part 5
  • OT_MITM.py
  • ThhMITMxface_Schematics.pdf
  • ThhWireBug_Rider.STL
  • MITM_Test.py
  • ThhWireBug_Schematics.pdf
  • ThhWireBug_PCB.STL
  • ThhWireBug_House.STL

Class 12 - Fault Injection in UART Attacks

  • Class 12 - Fault Injection in UART Attacks
  • GlitcherTest.py

Class 13 - Bypassing Kill Switch Protection

  • Class 13 - Bypassing Kill Switch Protection - part 1
  • Class 13 - Bypassing Kill Switch Protection - part 2
  • BrutPassword.py
  • PasswordUARTmaster.elf
  • rockyou.txt

Class 14 - Bypassing Secure Boot

  • Class 14a1 - Bypassing Secure Boot - Intro 1
  • Class 14a2 - Bypassing Secure Boot - Intro 2
  • Class 14b - Bypassing Secure Boot by Fault Injection
  • Class 14c - Bypassing Secure Boot by Imposing Single User Login
  • Class 14d - Bypassing Secure Boot by Firmware Manipulations
  • JetsonUart0FullLog01.log

Class 15 - Firmware Extraction the UART way

  • Class 15a - Firmware Extraction the UART way - Intro
  • Class 15b - Firmware Extraction the UART way - Bootloader Backdoors
  • Class 15c - Firmware Extraction the UART way - Logfile Resurrection
  • hex2bin.py