# #397.8 - An Interview with Chris Gerlinsky

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2018-06-25
- Length: 21m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky/

## Summary

Chris Gerlinsky, an embedded reverse engineer based on Vancouver Island, explains his work decapping chips and microprobing to extract firmware and security keys from automotive ECUs and legacy cable set-top boxes. He details the physical processes of delayering ICs using chemicals and plasma etching to expose silicon bits, and discusses how aftermarket automotive companies use these techniques to integrate non-OEM parts into closed vehicle networks. Gerlinsky also contrasts the ease of reverse-engineering older pay-TV security chips with the increasing difficulty posed by modern automotive security measures like signed code and RSA signatures.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky#t=0) Introduction and Reverse Engineering Overview
- [1:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky#t=80) Origins in Pay TV Piracy and Chip Decapsulation
- [2:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky#t=161) Microprobing and Extracting ROM Bits
- [4:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky#t=283) Delayering Techniques and Tools
- [7:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky#t=450) Aftermarket Automotive Security and ECUs
- [14:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky#t=893) Challenges of Modern Automotive Security
- [17:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky#t=1037) Lab Setup and Testing Methodologies
- [20:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-25-397-8-an-interview-with-chris-gerlinsky#t=1216) Conclusion and Community Connections

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- ToorCamp (other)
- CCC (other)
- 33C3 (other)
- Motorola (company)
- General Instrument (company)
- Recon (other)
- Mamaimo Maker Space (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [024 - Cars, Servers, and FPGAs!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-07-15-024-cars-servers-and-fpgas) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [054 - It's A Calibration, Not An Update!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2022-02-11-054-its-a-calibration-not-an-update) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [022 - Bits Through the Microscope](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-06-30-022-bits-through-the-microscope) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [032 - High Molarity Rants](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-02-25-032-high-molarity-rants) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [352: Baby's First Hydrofluoric Acid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-11-20-352-babys-first-hydrofluoric-acid) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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