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Extracting Router Firmware Using SMD Grippers
A few months ago, I was tinkering with my old router and started wondering how I could extract its firmware. I was curious if it was possible to reverse engineer it and find any security flaws. Even though it’s a pretty outdated device, I figured I could still learn a lot about hardware hacking—especially about how firmware extraction works.
In this post, I’ll show you a quick guide on how to extract firmware from a router’s flash memory. You’ll need to identify it correctly; most of the time, there’s a small dot or notch on the chip indicating pin 1, which is important when connecting it to the programmer. Analyze its firmware to identify potential security flaws Reverse engineer it using tools like Ghidra, IDA Pro, or simple hex viewers like xxd Install alternative firmware such as OpenWRT or pfSense on the router (check current supported versions)
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