Client Profile
A leading IoT device manufacturer specializing in smart home automation systems relied on custom-built hardware and embedded systems to power its products. As these devices handled sensitive user data and communicated over wireless networks, ensuring hardware security was critical to prevent physical tampering, firmware attacks, and supply chain threats.
Challenges Faced
Before undergoing Hardware Penetration Testing, the company identified multiple security concerns:
- Risk of hardware reverse engineering, allowing attackers to extract firmware, encryption keys, and proprietary code.
- Lack of secure boot mechanisms, making devices vulnerable to unauthorized firmware modifications.
- Weak physical security, allowing tampering through debug ports (JTAG, UART, SPI, I2C).
- Insecure wireless communication (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, LoRaWAN), increasing the risk of interception and replay attacks.
- Potential side-channel attacks, where power consumption, electromagnetic leaks, and timing analysis could expose sensitive data.
- Non-compliance risks related to NIST 800-193, Common Criteria (CC), and IoT Security Best Practices.
Our Approach
To strengthen hardware security, we conducted a comprehensive Hardware Penetration Testing engagement, identifying vulnerabilities and providing remediation strategies.
Scoping & Threat Modeling
We collaborated with the client to define:
- Scope of testing, including embedded systems, microcontrollers, hardware interfaces, communication protocols, and firmware.
- Threat models specific to hardware devices, such as tampering, side-channel analysis, and supply chain threats.
- Testing methodologies, including Black Box, Gray Box, and White Box testing.
Security Testing Execution
Using industry-standard frameworks like NIST 800-193, OWASP Hardware Security, and MITRE ATT&CK for Embedded Systems, we conducted rigorous hardware penetration testing, covering:
- Physical Security Testing – Assessing tamper resistance, debug port exposure, and side-channel vulnerabilities.
- Firmware Extraction & Reverse Engineering – Identifying weak encryption, hardcoded credentials, and backdoors.
- Secure Boot & Firmware Integrity Testing – Evaluating authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized updates.
- Side-Channel Attack Testing – Conducting power analysis, electromagnetic emissions, and timing attacks.
- Debug & Communication Interface Exploitation – Testing JTAG, UART, SPI, and I2C interfaces for unauthorized access.
- Wireless & Radio Frequency (RF) Security Testing – Assessing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, NFC, and RF protocols.
- Supply Chain & Hardware Trojan Analysis – Identifying potential backdoors and unauthorized hardware modifications.
- Embedded Cryptography Testing – Evaluating key storage security and cryptographic implementations.
Findings & Risk Assessment
After completing the penetration test, we provided a detailed security report, including:
- Critical, High, Medium, and Low-risk vulnerabilities, with business impact analysis.
- Proof-of-Concept (PoC) exploits, demonstrating how attackers could compromise hardware security.
- A prioritized remediation roadmap, helping the company fix vulnerabilities efficiently.
Remediation Support & Secure Hardware Development Best Practices
To ensure the devices remained secure, we provided:
- Hardware hardening recommendations, such as removing exposed debug ports.
- Implementation of Secure Boot, ensuring firmware integrity.
- Stronger cryptographic protections, including secure key storage.
- RF shielding and secure wireless communication protocols.
- Secure manufacturing and supply chain security best practices.
- Re-testing of critical vulnerabilities, ensuring proper remediation.
Compliance & Continuous Security
After implementing security fixes, the company achieved:
- Stronger hardware security, reducing risks of tampering and data breaches.
- Compliance readiness for NIST 800-193, ISO 15408 (Common Criteria), and IoT security standards.
- Improved resilience against side-channel attacks and reverse engineering.
- Implementation of a Secure Hardware Development Lifecycle (SHDLC).
Results Achieved
Within six weeks, the company successfully:
- Eliminated all critical hardware security vulnerabilities.
- Enhanced secure boot and firmware integrity protections.
- Hardened cryptographic key management and embedded security.
- Adopted a proactive hardware security strategy, ensuring long-term resilience.
Conclusion
By leveraging our Hardware Penetration Testing expertise, we helped the IoT manufacturer proactively identify vulnerabilities, enhance security controls, and ensure compliance with industry regulations. Our structured approach, from threat modeling to remediation, ensured the hardware remained resilient against cyber threats and physical attacks.
Need Hardware Penetration Testing?
If you’re looking to secure your hardware devices against cyber threats and tampering risks, reach out to us today for a customized hardware security assessment.
COE Security LLC
COE Security is a leading cybersecurity services provider, offering comprehensive solutions to address the evolving threat landscape. We have a proven track record of helping organizations of all sizes mitigate risks, strengthen defenses, and recover from cyberattacks. Our team of experienced cybersecurity professionals possesses deep expertise in the latest technologies and best practices, enabling us to deliver tailored solutions that meet your unique security needs.
We offer a wide range of services, including:
Security Services
- Application Penetration Testing – Assessing the security of applications by simulating real-world attacks to identify vulnerabilities.
- Mobile Application Penetration Testing – Evaluating the security of mobile applications on Android and iOS to detect potential risks.
- Web Application Penetration Testing – Identifying and mitigating security flaws in web applications to prevent cyber threats.
- Thick Client Penetration Testing – Testing desktop applications to uncover security gaps that could be exploited by attackers.
- API Penetration Testing – Ensuring the security of APIs by detecting vulnerabilities that could lead to unauthorized access or data leaks.
- Network Penetration Testing – Evaluating network infrastructure for weaknesses that hackers could exploit to gain access.
- Hardware Penetration Testing – Identifying security flaws in hardware components that could compromise overall system security.
- Operational Technology Security Testing – Protecting critical industrial control systems from cyber threats and potential disruptions.
- Cloud Penetration Testing – Assessing cloud environments for vulnerabilities to ensure the security of cloud-based assets.
- AWS Penetration Testing – Conducting security assessments for AWS environments to detect and mitigate risks.
- GCP Penetration Testing – Evaluating security risks in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to safeguard cloud assets and infrastructure.
- Azure Penetration Testing – Identifying vulnerabilities in Microsoft Azure cloud environments to prevent unauthorized access.
- Alibaba Penetration Testing – Ensuring the security of Alibaba Cloud infrastructures against evolving cyber threats.
- AI & LLM Penetration Testing – Assessing security risks in artificial intelligence (AI) and large language model (LLM) applications.
- Red Teaming – Simulating advanced attack scenarios to test an organization’s cyber resilience against real-world threats.
- Social Engineering Service – Identifying human-related security weaknesses through phishing, impersonation, and other social engineering tactics.
- Product Penetration Testing – Evaluating security vulnerabilities in software and hardware products before deployment.
- IoT Security – Securing connected devices to prevent them from becoming entry points for attackers.
- DevSecOps & Secure Software Development – Embedding security into the software development lifecycle.
Take Control of Your Cybersecurity Future
Don’t wait for a data breach to happen. Contact COE Security LLC today for a consultation and take control of your cybersecurity future.