reverse-engineering-firmware-analysis

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LIBRARY-FIRST PROTOCOL (MANDATORY)

Before writing ANY code, you MUST check:

Step 1: Library Catalog

• Location: .claude/library/catalog.json
• If match >70%: REUSE or ADAPT

Step 2: Patterns Guide

• Location: .claude/docs/inventories/LIBRARY-PATTERNS-GUIDE.md
• If pattern exists: FOLLOW documented approach

Step 3: Existing Projects

• Location: D:\Projects\*
• If found: EXTRACT and adapt

Decision Matrix

Match	Action
Library >90%	REUSE directly
Library 70-90%	ADAPT minimally
Pattern exists	FOLLOW pattern
In project	EXTRACT
No match	BUILD (add to library after)

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Purpose

Perform comprehensive firmware analysis: partition extraction, config/secret hunting, service hardening review, and emulation-based behavior analysis. Aligns with skill-forge structure-first and prompt-architect constraint/confidence standards.

Use When / Redirect When

• Use when: complex firmware with custom partitions, update paths, or services that need behavioral validation.
• Redirect when: general binary analysis (reverse-engineer-debug/-deep) or quick IOC-only triage (reverse-engineering-quick-triage).

Guardrails

• Authorized firmware/hardware only; respect licenses/export rules.
• Isolated environments with snapshots; never flash production devices.
• Sanitize secrets; avoid external uploads without approval.
• Confidence ceilings enforced (inference/report ≤0.70, research 0.85, observation/definition 0.95).

Prompt Architecture Overlay

1. HARD/SOFT/INFERRED constraints (device model, arch, services of interest, outputs needed).
2. Two-pass refinement: structure → epistemic.
3. English-only output with explicit confidence line.

SOP (Extended Firmware Loop)

1. Scope & Setup: Authorization, hashes, device metadata, and objectives; stage isolated workspace.
2. Extraction & Mapping: Unpack partitions; identify file systems and startup/init flows; map attack surface (services, ports, update channels).
3. Static Review: Hunt for credentials/keys/endpoints, unsafe defaults, crypto misuse, and outdated components (CVE mapping).
4. Emulation/Dynamic (if allowed): qemu/chroot for service behavior; capture logs/traces and persistence/install paths.
5. Validation & Delivery: Cross-check static/dynamic findings; produce SBOM, remediation plan, and archive artifacts to skills/security/reverse-engineering-extended/reverse-engineering-firmware-analysis/{project}/{timestamp} with MCP tags (WHO=reverse-engineering-firmware-analysis-{session}, WHY=skill-execution).

Deliverables

• Firmware report (attack surface, findings, CVE/CWE mapping) and SBOM.
• Evidence bundle (extraction logs, configs, traces) with timestamps.
• Remediation/hardening guidance and safe update/rollback notes.

Quality Gates

• Structure-first documentation; missing resources/examples/tests tracked.
• Chain-of-custody maintained (hashes, env, tool versions).
• Evidence with confidence ceilings; dual validation for critical/high.
• Isolation and approval confirmed before emulation.

Anti-Patterns

• Flashing unvetted firmware to production devices.
• Publishing secrets or proprietary code.
• Ignoring update/rollback safety.

Output Format

• Scope + constraints table (HARD/SOFT/INFERRED).
• Findings and SBOM summary with evidence.
• Remediation and validation log.
• Confidence line: Confidence: X.XX (ceiling: TYPE Y.YY) - reason.

Confidence: 0.72 (ceiling: inference 0.70) - Extended firmware SOP aligned with skill-forge and prompt-architect standards.