# 042 - Diwali in the Morning

- Show: [Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast)
- Published: 2020-11-24
- Length: 55m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-11-24-042-diwali-in-the-morning
- Listen: https://unnamedre.com/episode/42

## Summary

Asmita Jha, an IoT security consultant at Payatu, discusses her transition from embedded firmware development to hardware security and reverse engineering. She details her workflow for analyzing IoT devices like routers and cameras, covering techniques for extracting firmware, decrypting images, and using tools like Ghidra, Binwalk, and QEMU. Jha also shares advice on secure firmware development, emphasizing the importance of avoiding hardcoded credentials and implementing proper secure boot mechanisms.

## Chapters

- [0:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-11-24-042-diwali-in-the-morning#t=29) Introduction and Career Transition
- [4:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-11-24-042-diwali-in-the-morning#t=278) Hardware Reverse Engineering Techniques
- [11:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-11-24-042-diwali-in-the-morning#t=669) Firmware Extraction and Analysis
- [28:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-11-24-042-diwali-in-the-morning#t=1721) Bare Metal vs. OS-Based Reversing
- [36:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-11-24-042-diwali-in-the-morning#t=2209) Ghidra Plugins and Tooling
- [43:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-11-24-042-diwali-in-the-morning#t=2615) Secure Firmware Development Advice
- [48:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-11-24-042-diwali-in-the-morning#t=2900) Learning Resources and Conclusion

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Payatu (company)
- Ghidra (tool)
- Binwalk (tool)
- Radare2 (tool)
- Cutter (tool)
- QEMU (tool)
- ChipWhisperer (tool)
- Firmware Center (other)
- IoT Security 101 (other)
- TrustZone (other)
- VxWorks (other)
- OpenWrt (other)
- Buildroot (other)
- Radamsa (tool)
- AFL (tool)
- UberTooth (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How to Discover & Handle IoT Firmware Vulnerabilities | Terry Dunlap, Co-Founder & CEO, ReFirm Labs | #IoTFounders E027](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2019-05-15-how-to-discover-handle-iot-firmware-vulnerabilities-terry-dunlap-co-founder-ceo) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Hardware Security with Matt Brown](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-07-17-hardware-security-with-matt-brown) (The Amp Hour)
- [Offensive Cybersecurity with Ryan Torvik](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2025-04-09-offensive-cybersecurity-with-ryan-torvik) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [Biggest Firmware Vulnerabilities & How to Fix Them | NetRise's Thomas Pace | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2023-01-26-biggest-firmware-vulnerabilities-how-to-fix-them-netrises-thomas-pace-internet-o) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [192: Button Connected To Nothing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-03-22-192-button-connected-to-nothing) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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