Internet Server Error: Exploiting Interprocess Communication in Embedded HTTP
Martin Doyhenard demonstrates reverse engineering proprietary HTTP servers, exploiting interprocess communication (IPC) and memory corruption for remote code execution.
Summary
The Fragile Nature of Proprietary Embedded Web Servers
Many commercial networking and IoT devices utilize custom, closed-source HTTP server daemons to manage user requests and interface with backend system services.
Reverse Engineering Custom HTTP Parsers and IPC Handlers
Martin Doyhenard details dissecting proprietary binaries in IDA Pro, identifying flaws in request parsing, header extraction, and shared memory IPC messaging.
Exploiting Memory Corruption via HTTP Request Smuggling
Doyhenard demonstrates chaining HTTP request manipulation with heap buffer overflows to achieve reliable remote code execution on target appliances.
Defensive Architecture and Memory-Safe Migration
The author highlights the critical need for memory-safe languages and standard open-source web daemons in embedded firmware design.
Related talks
Main Stage·27 min
Jay Lagorio
Jay Lagorio demonstrates defeating proprietary encryption on Zyxel Zywall security gateway firmware, extracting executables to discover critical zero-days.
Main Stage·51 min
Joe Grand · Jake Appelbaum · Chris Tarnovsky
Joe Grand and Jake Appelbaum explores smart parking meter implementations, globalism, and you at DEF CON 17, examining smart-meters and practical defenses.
Main Stage·51 min
Joe Grand · Jake Appelbaum · Chris Tarnovsky
Joe Grand and Jake Appelbaum explores smart parking meter hardware and vulnerability analysis at DEF CON 17, examining smart-meters and practical defenses.


