Reverse Engineering a Bluetooth Application: Discovering the Secrets of a Makeup Printing Device

Abstract

The abundance and ubiquity of small, bespoke, Internet of Things (IoT) devices has widened a growing knowledge gap between what is understood about them and their actual capabilities. Thousands of new devices are released each year, where each variety can see millions of units produced and sold. Closing or narrowing this gap requires a coordinated analysis effort, necessitating bolstered numbers of individuals with the knowledge to address this issue. However, without access to source code, build system, and detailed software/hardware documentation, this cannot be done in the traditional analysis or forward engineering paradigm. In contrast, reverse engineering is the iterative process and methodology by which hardware and software can be understood with little or no access to the information and resources the developers used to make a given device. This paper serves as a guide on how to approach and successfully reverse engineer a device to the point of being able to augment its’ functionality