REcon Montreal

REcon is a computer security conference with a focus on reverse engineering and advanced exploitation techniques. It is held annually in Montreal, Canada. It offers a single track of presentations over the span of three days with a focus on reverse engineering and advanced exploitation techniques.

Workshop Overview

Hardware security analysis differs from software security analysis primarily in the tools and techniques required for the task at hand. However, many security researchers overestimate the learning curve required to begin successfully performing embedded hardware analysis. This training is specifically designed for security researchers who wish to improve their familiarity with hardware security and hardware implementations in particular. The training is built as a set of Capture the Flag (CTF) style assignments designed to familiarize students with common flaws in hardware implementations. In this training, students will learn to develop custom hardware implementations utilizing programmable logic, i.e. Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs). Students will thoroughly understand the advantages of building tools based on programmable logic, understand how hardware implementations are realized and exploit several common hardware security flaws.