IoT & Hardware Penetration Test

An IoT & Hardware Penetration Test uncovers vulnerabilities across the device, its firmware, its wireless and network communication, and the apps and cloud services behind it

An IoT & Hardware Penetration Test is designed to identify vulnerabilities across the entire connected-device ecosystem, from the physical hardware and firmware through to the wireless protocols, network services, and cloud backend the device depends on

What you'll get:
  • A comprehensive assessment of your device hardware, firmware, and communications
  • Firmware extraction, reverse engineering, and analysis for secrets and flaws
  • Hardware interface (UART, JTAG, SPI) and wireless protocol testing
  • A detailed report with proof-of-concept exploits, business impact, and remediation steps
  • Remediation and patch validation testing to confirm vulnerability fixes

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What is IoT & Hardware Penetration Testing?

IoT and hardware penetration testing is a specialized security assessment of physical connected devices and the embedded software that runs them. Unlike a web or network test that examines software in isolation, this discipline treats the device as a complete system: the silicon and circuit board, the firmware stored in flash memory, the radios and network interfaces it communicates over, and the companion mobile apps and cloud services that control it. A weakness in any one of these layers can compromise the whole product and, often, every other unit in the field.

Connected devices introduce attack surfaces that traditional testing never touches. An attacker with physical access can solder onto a debug interface such as UART or JTAG, dump the firmware, and recover hardcoded credentials, private keys, or update-signing secrets. Over the air, weak or unauthenticated wireless protocols can expose device control or eavesdropping opportunities. And because devices frequently ship with the same keys and firmware across an entire product line, a single extracted secret can unlock a fleet.

DarkPoint Security's IoT and hardware penetration tests assess the full device ecosystem and deliver actionable remediation guidance. Our team has published vulnerability disclosures in commercial network and VoIP hardware, so this is work we do against real production devices, not just theory.

IoT and hardware security testing

Why Your Organization Needs IoT & Hardware Penetration Testing

Connected products carry risk that software-only testing cannot uncover, and the consequences of a flaw are amplified because hardware is hard to patch and ships in volume. Whether you build devices or deploy them, an unassessed device can become a durable foothold in your environment or a liability in your customers'.

  • Extractable Secrets and Keys — Devices routinely store credentials, API tokens, TLS private keys, and firmware-signing keys in flash memory or external EEPROM. With physical access and a debug interface, an attacker can recover these and, because keys are often shared across a product line, compromise every device in the field
  • Insecure Firmware and Update Mechanisms — Firmware that is unsigned, unencrypted, or improperly validated can be modified and reflashed, letting an attacker install persistent malicious code or downgrade to a vulnerable version. We assess the integrity of the entire update pipeline
  • Weak Wireless and Network Communication — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, and proprietary radio protocols frequently lack authentication or encryption, exposing device control, sensitive telemetry, and pairing secrets to anyone within range
  • Exposed Network Services and the Cloud Backend — Devices ship with web interfaces, APIs, and management services that often contain the same classes of vulnerabilities as any other application, and they are connected to cloud platforms that widen the blast radius of a single compromise
  • Regulatory and Market Pressure — Standards and regulations such as ETSI EN 303 645, NIST IR 8259, the EU Cyber Resilience Act, and sector rules for medical and industrial devices increasingly expect demonstrable security testing before a product reaches market

Our IoT & Hardware Testing Methodology

Our IoT and hardware penetration tests follow a rigorous methodology grounded in recognized industry standards:

  • OWASP IoT Top 10 — Provides the foundational vulnerability categories for connected devices, covering weak and hardcoded credentials, insecure network services, insecure update mechanisms, and insufficient privacy and data protection
  • OWASP Firmware Security Testing Methodology (FSTM) — Guides our firmware extraction, analysis, and reverse engineering process from acquisition through dynamic analysis and exploitation
  • NIST IR 8259 and ETSI EN 303 645 — Inform our evaluation of baseline security capabilities expected of consumer and commercial IoT products
  • PTES and NIST SP 800-115 — Govern the overall penetration testing process applied to the device's network services and supporting applications

The assessment begins with reconnaissance and hardware analysis, where we examine the circuit board, identify components and debug interfaces, and connect to ports such as UART and JTAG. We then perform firmware extraction and analysis through debug interfaces, flash dumps, or update packages, reverse engineering the firmware for hardcoded secrets, insecure logic, and known-vulnerable components. Next we assess wireless and network communication along with the device's services and companion apps. Finally, we conduct exploitation and validation to demonstrate real-world impact and document the complete attack chain.

Testing Coverage

Our IoT and hardware penetration tests cover a comprehensive range of attack vectors across the device, its communications, and its supporting ecosystem:

  • Hardware reconnaissance and component analysis
  • Debug interface access (UART, JTAG, SWD)
  • Firmware extraction from flash and EEPROM
  • Firmware reverse engineering and analysis
  • Hardcoded credential and key recovery
  • Secure boot and firmware update validation
  • Side-channel and fault-injection considerations
  • Wi-Fi, BLE, Zigbee, and RF protocol testing
  • Device web interfaces and management services
  • API and cloud backend security
  • Companion mobile application assessment
  • Authentication, pairing, and session security
  • Sensitive data storage and transmission
  • Network service and exposed port analysis

Industries We Serve

DarkPoint Security delivers IoT and hardware penetration testing to organizations that build or deploy connected devices. We work with device manufacturers and technology vendors who need their products assessed before launch to meet customer security expectations and emerging regulations. We support manufacturing and industrial operators running IoT sensors, controllers, and building automation across converged IT and OT environments, where a compromised device can disrupt physical processes. Our team works with healthcare organizations deploying connected medical devices subject to PIPEDA and regulatory scrutiny, and with financial services and retail businesses that rely on point-of-sale terminals, VoIP systems, and network appliances. We also serve government agencies deploying connected infrastructure with strict data residency and confidentiality requirements.

Why Choose DarkPoint Security

  • Published Device Vulnerability Research — Our team has disclosed CVEs in commercial network and VoIP hardware, demonstrating proven ability to find novel vulnerabilities in real production devices, not just run automated tools
  • Full-Ecosystem Assessment — We test the hardware, firmware, radios, network services, mobile apps, and cloud backend together, because device security depends on every layer holding
  • Manual-First Approach — Hardware reverse engineering, firmware analysis, and protocol exploitation are inherently hands-on. We go far beyond scanning to perform the deep technical work these devices demand
  • Canadian Data Residency — As a Toronto-based firm, all testing data, firmware images, and reports remain within Canadian jurisdiction, addressing data sovereignty and confidentiality requirements
  • Remediation Validation — Every engagement includes follow-up retesting to confirm that identified vulnerabilities have been properly remediated without introducing new issues

Frequently Asked Questions

We test a broad range of connected and embedded devices, including consumer and industrial IoT, network appliances, VoIP phones, routers and gateways, medical devices, point-of-sale hardware, building automation and access control systems, and custom embedded products. Our team has published vulnerability disclosures (CVEs) in commercial network and VoIP devices, so we routinely work with real production hardware rather than just theoretical assessments.

For a thorough hardware assessment, yes. Physical access lets us inspect the circuit board, identify and connect to debug interfaces such as UART and JTAG, extract and analyze firmware from flash memory, and observe the device's behaviour under fault conditions. We typically ask for one or more sample units to test in our lab. Where physical access is not possible, we can still assess the firmware, companion mobile and web applications, cloud APIs, and network-exposed services remotely.

Our methodology draws on the OWASP IoT Top 10, the OWASP Firmware Security Testing Methodology (FSTM), and relevant guidance such as NIST IR 8259 and ETSI EN 303 645 for consumer IoT, layered on our established penetration testing process from PTES and NIST SP 800-115. This covers the full device ecosystem: hardware, firmware, wireless and network communication, and the supporting mobile, web, and cloud components.

Most IoT and hardware engagements take 2 to 4 weeks depending on the number of devices, the complexity of the firmware, the wireless and network protocols in use, and how much of the supporting ecosystem (mobile app, cloud backend) is in scope. Hardware analysis, firmware extraction, and reverse engineering are time-intensive, so we confirm a precise timeline during scoping.

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Related Vulnerability Research

Examples of original device vulnerability research published by our team: