Hardware Penetration Testing
Physical-layer security assessment targeting JTAG, UART, SPI, and I²C debug interfaces, side-channel vulnerabilities, and fault injection vectors.
Hardware Penetration Testing
Hardware security is the foundation upon which all software security ultimately rests. A device with a compromised hardware layer cannot be secured through software controls alone. Intelliroot's Hardware Penetration Testing service examines the physical and electrical attack surface of embedded systems, IoT devices, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics — uncovering vulnerabilities that are invisible to software-only security assessments.
Our hardware security specialists use professional lab equipment including oscilloscopes, logic analysers, ChipWhisperer platforms, and custom FPGA rigs to perform side-channel analysis, fault injection, and debug interface exploitation against target devices. Every engagement is tailored to the specific hardware architecture, use case, and threat model of the target device.
Physical Access Breaks Software Assumptions
Side-Channel Attacks Bypass Cryptography
Even correctly implemented AES, RSA, and ECC can be broken through power analysis (SPA/DPA) and electromagnetic emanation analysis when an attacker has physical access to the device. Hardware security must be validated at the silicon level.
Debug Interfaces Enable Full Compromise
JTAG, UART, SWD, and I²C interfaces provide direct access to processor registers, memory, and boot processes. A single exposed debug header on a PCB can allow an attacker to extract encryption keys, firmware, and user data in minutes.
Fault Injection Defeats Security Checks
Voltage glitching, clock glitching, and laser fault injection can cause processors to skip security-critical instructions — bypassing secure boot validation, authentication checks, and memory protection mechanisms without triggering any software-layer detection.
Supply Chain Integrity Cannot Be Assumed
Counterfeit components, hardware trojans, and tampered devices are real supply chain threats. Hardware security testing validates that devices behave as designed and have not been modified during manufacture or distribution.
Testing Areas
Debug Interface Exploitation
JTAG boundary scan, UART shell access, SWD debugging, SPI/I²C flash extraction. Identification and exploitation of all exposed hardware interfaces.
Side-Channel Analysis
Simple and Differential Power Analysis (SPA/DPA), electromagnetic analysis (EMA), and timing attack assessment against cryptographic implementations and authentication mechanisms.
Fault Injection
Voltage glitching, clock glitching, and laser fault injection to bypass secure boot, authentication, and memory protection. ChipWhisperer-based automated fault injection campaigns.
PCB & Component Analysis
PCB reverse engineering, component identification, test point mapping, and identification of undocumented interfaces, debug headers, and hardware backdoors.
Our Approach
- 01
Hardware Reconnaissance
PCB photography, component identification, datasheet research, and test point mapping. Identify all potential attack surfaces before any active probing.
- 02
Interface Identification & Access
Logic analyser probing to identify UART, JTAG, SPI, and I²C interfaces. JTAG chain enumeration and access to processor debug registers and memory.
- 03
Firmware Extraction
Extract firmware via identified interfaces. SPI flash dumping, JTAG memory readout, and UART-based extraction where applicable.
- 04
Side-Channel Assessment
Power trace acquisition and analysis using ChipWhisperer. SPA/DPA attacks against cryptographic operations. Timing attack assessment.
- 05
Fault Injection Campaigns
Automated voltage and clock glitching campaigns targeting secure boot, authentication, and memory access controls. Document successful fault injection parameters.
- 06
Reporting
Detailed technical report with findings, reproduction steps, attack complexity ratings, and hardware hardening recommendations including PCB design guidance.
Deliverables
Hardware Security Report
Full technical report with all findings, reproduction steps, attack complexity ratings, and CVSS scores for each identified vulnerability.
PCB Interface Map
Annotated PCB photographs identifying all discovered interfaces, test points, debug headers, and components of security interest.
Side-Channel Analysis Data
Power trace captures and analysis showing cryptographic vulnerabilities, with recommendations for countermeasure implementation.
Hardware Hardening Checklist
Prioritised checklist of PCB design changes, component selections, and manufacturing process controls to mitigate identified vulnerabilities in future revisions.
Request a Security Assessment
Tell us about your environment and security objectives. We'll design a bespoke assessment and deliver a detailed proposal within 48 hours.