While not necessarily an easy thing to learn, the ability to reverse engineer embedded device firmware is an extremely helpful skill. reverse engineering firmware allows you to evaluate a device for bugs and vulnerabilities, as well as gives you the opportunity to add features if you happen to be so inclined. When it concerns things such as jailbroken iPhones, Android phones, and Nooks, you can guarantee that a close look at the firmware helped to relocation the process along.
[Craig] works with embedded systems quite frequently and put together a comprehensive walkthrough demonstrating how he reverse engineers device firmware. The subject of his hacking was a new firmware package he obtained for a Linksys WWAG120 Wireless-N router.
His tutorial walks through some of the most common reverse engineering methods and tools, which allow him to slowly unravel the firmware’s secrets. When finished, he had a working copy of the router’s boot loader, kernel, and file system – all ready to be even more analyzed. His writeup includes tons of additional details, so be sure to swing by his site if reverse engineering is something you are interested in.