Pentest IoT: vulnerabilities and analysis tools

IoT Device Pentesting: Step-by-Step Guide from Setup to Exploitation

Pentesting IoT devices uncovers vulnerabilities that can cripple industries like finance, oil & gas, and transportation. The process covers environment setup, port scanning, firmware analysis, and exploitation. A full cycle helps assess risks to payment systems, manufacturing processes, or data access.

Documentation Review and OWASP Top 10

Start by reviewing specs, protocols, and authentication methods. The OWASP Top 10 for IoT highlights key threats:

• Weak authentication: Vulnerable to data interception and unauthorized actions.
• Insecure components: Outdated OS or libraries from compromised sources.
• Poor credential management: Risk of privilege escalation.
• Lack of patching: Devices stay exposed without updates.
• Uncontrolled network access: Open to DDoS attacks.

Real-world example: iLnkP2P vulnerabilities (CVE-2019-11219, CVE-2019-11220) affected 2 million devices, letting attackers identify hardware and sniff traffic—including video streams and passwords. Firmware updates can introduce risks too if channels aren't secure or files unverified.

Setting Up an Isolated Test Environment

Build an isolated network or VM for safe testing. The Affinity distro packs IoT audit tools:

• Arduino — for prototyping.
• Baudrate — detecting baud rates.
• BDAddr — handling Bluetooth addresses.
• BetterCap — MITM attacks and traffic analysis.
• Binwalk — firmware extraction.
• Create_AP — Wi-Fi access points.
• Cutter — GUI for Radare2.
• DspectrumGUI — spectrum analysis.
• Dump1090 — ADS-B/Mode-S signals.
• Firmadyne — firmware emulation.
• Firmware Analysis Toolkit — firmware analysis.
• Firmware-Mod-Kit — decompilation.
• GHIDRA — reverse engineering.
• GNURadio — SDR platform.
• GQRX — SDR receiver.
• GR-GSM — GSM scanning.
• GR-Paint — spectrograms.
• HackRF Tools — SDR devices.
• Inspectrum — radio signal analysis.

These tools enable comprehensive audits without risking production systems.

Port and Service Scanning

Kick off with Nmap for mapping:

nmap -sS -sU -T4 -A -v <target_IP>

Flags: -sS/-sU for TCP/UDP, -T4 speeds it up, -A detects OS/versions, -v for verbose output. Move to vulnerability hunting with RouterSploit or Firmware Analysis Toolkit:

./extractor.py -b <brand> -sql 127.0.0.1 -np -nk firmware.bin output_dir

Manual analysis with Radare2 or GHIDRA fills the gaps. Launch GHIDRA:

./ghidraRun

Import files via File -> Open to decompile and hunt weak spots in the code.

Exploiting Vulnerabilities

Craft a strategy from scan results: brute-force auth, MITM, or software exploits. Leverage Metasploit or BetterCap. Sniffing example:

bettercap -X

For BLE:

ble.recon on
ble.enum 04:52:de:ad:be:ef
ble.write 04:52:de:ad:be:ef 234bfbd5e3b34536a3fe723620d4b78d ffffffffffffffff

Manual exploitation via Qiling or radare2:

radare2 [file]

Assess access gained, document methods, tools, and impacts. Avoid side effects during tests.

Key Takeaways

• OWASP Top 10 as foundation: Prioritize authentication, updates, and network access.
• Isolated environment essential: Affinity provides the full tool stack.
• Auto + manual combo: Nmap/BetterCap + GHIDRA/Radare2 uncover 90% of flaws.
• Document attacks: Log steps for reproducibility and risk assessment.
• Real examples: iLnkP2P shows P2P risks in mass-market devices.

— Editorial Team