Survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for IoT device firmware

With the wide application of IoT technology, IoT devices have exploded. In recent years, security incidents caused by IoT devices have occurred frequently, which makes the research of IoT device security become a hot spot. The security analysis of IoT device firmware has been conducted, with a focus...

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Main Authors: LIU Hangtian, GAN Shuitao, ZHANG Chao, ZHANG Hongqi, SUN Wenhou, GAO Zicong, ZHAO Min, BAI Xue
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: POSTS&TELECOM PRESS Co., LTD 2025-04-01
Series:网络与信息安全学报
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.cjnis.com.cn/thesisDetails#10.11959/j.issn.2096-109x.2025014
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author LIU Hangtian
GAN Shuitao
ZHANG Chao
ZHANG Hongqi
SUN Wenhou
GAO Zicong
ZHAO Min
BAI Xue
author_facet LIU Hangtian
GAN Shuitao
ZHANG Chao
ZHANG Hongqi
SUN Wenhou
GAO Zicong
ZHAO Min
BAI Xue
author_sort LIU Hangtian
collection DOAJ
description With the wide application of IoT technology, IoT devices have exploded. In recent years, security incidents caused by IoT devices have occurred frequently, which makes the research of IoT device security become a hot spot. The security analysis of IoT device firmware has been conducted, with a focus on its black-box nature, network characteristics, and customization features. Challenges to automated vulnerability mining have been highlighted, such as the closed-source firmware code, closed operating environment, complex network interactions, and highly customized hardware-software. Researchers have proposed a series of advanced technologies and methods to address these challenges. The existing literature was comprehensively analyzed, and the latest research progress in automated vulnerability mining technology for IoT device firmware was summarized from four aspects: black-box fuzzing, gray-box fuzzing, static program analysis, and firmware re-hosting. Based on the analysis of the current research status, existing challenges and deficiencies were pointed out, and future research directions and ideas were proposed, including the development trend of multi-technology organically combination, the application prospects of large language models in automated vulnerability mining, and the synchronous upgrade of vulnerability mining technology driven by the evolution of IoT technology. An in-depth analysis and summary of the current status and development trends of automated vulnerability mining technology for IoT device firmware were provided, offering valuable references for future research and applications in the industry.
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spelling doaj-art-bb36a05d44304fb3a40a700b262bc8332025-08-20T02:32:07ZengPOSTS&TELECOM PRESS Co., LTD网络与信息安全学报2096-109X2025-04-0111264999195860Survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for IoT device firmwareLIU HangtianGAN ShuitaoZHANG ChaoZHANG HongqiSUN WenhouGAO ZicongZHAO MinBAI XueWith the wide application of IoT technology, IoT devices have exploded. In recent years, security incidents caused by IoT devices have occurred frequently, which makes the research of IoT device security become a hot spot. The security analysis of IoT device firmware has been conducted, with a focus on its black-box nature, network characteristics, and customization features. Challenges to automated vulnerability mining have been highlighted, such as the closed-source firmware code, closed operating environment, complex network interactions, and highly customized hardware-software. Researchers have proposed a series of advanced technologies and methods to address these challenges. The existing literature was comprehensively analyzed, and the latest research progress in automated vulnerability mining technology for IoT device firmware was summarized from four aspects: black-box fuzzing, gray-box fuzzing, static program analysis, and firmware re-hosting. Based on the analysis of the current research status, existing challenges and deficiencies were pointed out, and future research directions and ideas were proposed, including the development trend of multi-technology organically combination, the application prospects of large language models in automated vulnerability mining, and the synchronous upgrade of vulnerability mining technology driven by the evolution of IoT technology. An in-depth analysis and summary of the current status and development trends of automated vulnerability mining technology for IoT device firmware were provided, offering valuable references for future research and applications in the industry.http://www.cjnis.com.cn/thesisDetails#10.11959/j.issn.2096-109x.2025014IoT deviceblack-box fuzzinggray-box fuzzingstatic program analysisfirmware re-hostinglarge language model
spellingShingle LIU Hangtian
GAN Shuitao
ZHANG Chao
ZHANG Hongqi
SUN Wenhou
GAO Zicong
ZHAO Min
BAI Xue
Survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for IoT device firmware
网络与信息安全学报
IoT device
black-box fuzzing
gray-box fuzzing
static program analysis
firmware re-hosting
large language model
title Survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for IoT device firmware
title_full Survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for IoT device firmware
title_fullStr Survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for IoT device firmware
title_full_unstemmed Survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for IoT device firmware
title_short Survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for IoT device firmware
title_sort survey on automated vulnerability mining techniques for iot device firmware
topic IoT device
black-box fuzzing
gray-box fuzzing
static program analysis
firmware re-hosting
large language model
url http://www.cjnis.com.cn/thesisDetails#10.11959/j.issn.2096-109x.2025014
work_keys_str_mv AT liuhangtian surveyonautomatedvulnerabilityminingtechniquesforiotdevicefirmware
AT ganshuitao surveyonautomatedvulnerabilityminingtechniquesforiotdevicefirmware
AT zhangchao surveyonautomatedvulnerabilityminingtechniquesforiotdevicefirmware
AT zhanghongqi surveyonautomatedvulnerabilityminingtechniquesforiotdevicefirmware
AT sunwenhou surveyonautomatedvulnerabilityminingtechniquesforiotdevicefirmware
AT gaozicong surveyonautomatedvulnerabilityminingtechniquesforiotdevicefirmware
AT zhaomin surveyonautomatedvulnerabilityminingtechniquesforiotdevicefirmware
AT baixue surveyonautomatedvulnerabilityminingtechniquesforiotdevicefirmware