Hardware Security with Matt Brown

The Amp Hour · 17 Jul 2025 · 1h 07m · Episode 698

What this episode covers

Matt Brown of Brown Find Security discusses hardware security best practices and reverse engineering techniques, using his analysis of a smart charcoal smoker as a primary case study. He explains how unencrypted flash storage and lack of key rotation on an ESP32-based device allowed him to extract private keys and intercept TLS traffic. The conversation covers the importance of threat modeling, the role of secure elements like the ATECC608, and the tools used for firmware dumping and RF analysis.

Mentioned

Companies
Home Depot, AWS, Samsung, Bosch
Chips
ESP32, ATECC608
Tools
Wireshark, Ghidra, IDA Pro, XGecu T76, Pico EMP, Saleae Logic Analyzer, USRP B200, GNU Radio, Universal Radio Hacker, NRF Connect, Binwalk
Also
DEF CON, Hardware IO

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