Reverse Engineering Microcontroller Memory Program and Data

Reverse Engineering Microcontroller Memory can help us to recover Program and Data from mcu flash and eeprom memory, and normally the final purpose is to produce MCU cloning units which are able to provide the same functionality;

Microprobing techniques can be used to access the microcontroller surface directly, so we can observe, manipulate, and interfere with the integrated circuit.

Reverse Engineering Microcontroller Memory is used to understand the inner structure of semiconductor chip and learn or emulate its functionality. It requires the use of the same technology available to semiconductor manufacturers and gives similar capabilities to the attacker.

Software mcu attacker use the normal communication interface of the processor and exploit security vulnerabilities found in the protocols, cryptographic algorithms, or their implementation.

Eavesdropping techniques allows the mcu crecker to monitor, with high time resolution, the analog characteristics of supply and interface connections and any electromagnetic radiation by the processor during normal operation.

Fault generation techniques use abnormal environmental conditions to generate malfunctions in the processor that provide additional access.

All microprobing techniques are invasive mcu attacking. They require hours or weeks in specialised laboratory and in the process they destroy the packaging. The other three are non-invasive mcu crecks.

The facilities is not physically harmed during microcontroller ic unlocking. The last service category could also be semi-invasive. It means that the access to the chip’s die is required but the mcu creck is not penetrative and the fault is generated with intensive light pulse, radiation, local heating or other means.

Non-invasive mcu ic unlocking are particularly dangerous in some applications for two reasons. Firstly, the owner of the device might not notice that the secret keys or data have been stolen, therefore it is unlikely that the validity of the compromised keys will be revoked before they are abused.