MSc. Embedded device security

Background:
Embedded devices are integral to our daily lives, powering everything from payment systems to security applications. While these devices provide essential functionality, they are often susceptible to physical hardware attacks when exposed to malicious actors. Recognizing these vulnerabilities, atsec is expanding its focus to include penetration testing of such hardware, aiming to identify and address potential security flaws before they can be exploited. State-of-the-art research exists but is in practice applied to specific targets with extensive focused research, made on proof-of-concepts targets, or achievable with high-class bespoke equipment. The goal of the thesis is to focus on the practicality of state-of-the-art hardware attacks suitable for a pentesting company carrying out customer projects, with their own timeframes and expectations.

Research question:
Research state of the art hardware attacks and how these may be implemented in practice in a pentesting company setting. Develop and evaluate testing tools for use in hardware and IOT security assessments.

What are the key challenges and limitations of conducting hardware security testing in a real-world setting, and how can they be addressed?
How can the latest discoveries in hardware security research be translated into testing methodologies?
What are the most effective strategies that should be implemented in a comprehensive security testing framework, and what benefits can be expected from this approach?

About atsec:
atsec information security is an independent, privately-owned group of companies that focuses on providing laboratory and consulting services for IT and information security. atsec with mother company in Munich (Germany) has subsidiaries in Stockholm (Sweden), Austin (US), Rome (Italy) and Beijing (China). We are certified according to ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 9001, ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 17065, which emphasises our focus on IT and information security. atsec is also accredited by different government authorities as a laboratory for security assessment in Sweden, Germany, Italy and the US. atsec specialises in performing third party assessments of commercial products, using international standards (CC, GSMA NESAS, FIPS 140-2, etc) to help provide assurance to end-users about the products they buy and use.

Target:
The goal of the thesis project would be to investigate hardware attacks in the context of penetration testing and information security. As a Hardware Hacking master thesis student, you will research state-of-the-art hardware attacks and their feasibility, engage in hands-on research and experimentation, working with a variety of devices, including SoC, microcontrollers, embedded systems, and consumer electronics. You will be assisting with identifying vulnerabilities, exploiting hardware security weaknesses, developping tools for firmware analysis, debugging, and reverse engineering.

Example of customer project related assignments:
• Conduct penetration testing on embedded systems and IoT devices to identify vulnerabilities and propose security improvements.
• Work with a range of hardware platforms including ARM-based chips, microcontrollers, and custom hardware setups.
• Reverse engineer and extract firmware from hardware devices using industry-standard tools like JTAG, SPI, and UART interfaces.
• Implement and improve fault injection and side-channel attack techniques to assess the resilience of devices under attack, using ChipWhisperer and ChipShouter.
• Contribute to the development of custom scripts and tools for automation of hardware analysis.

Education:
Specify education or specialization: MSc in Embedded devices, computer science, electronics or similar.
Number of students: 1-2. Start date: January/February 2025.
Estimated time needed: 20 weeks.