Firmwire Documentation

Welcome to the comprehensive documentation for Firmwire, the advanced firmware analysis tool for embedded devices. This guide will help you get started with Firmwire and make the most of its powerful features.

Installation

Firmwire is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Choose your platform and follow the installation instructions below.

Firmwire Architecture

CLI Interface

Command-line interface for analysis

Analysis Engine

Core vulnerability detection

Rule Engine

Security rules and patterns

Report Generator

Output formatting and templates

System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, or Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+)
• RAM: Minimum 4GB, Recommended 8GB+
• Storage: 500MB free space
• CPU: x64 architecture

Windows Installation

# Download the installer
# Run the installer as administrator
firmwire-setup-v1.2.0.exe

# Verify installation
firmwire --version

macOS Installation

# Download the DMG file
# Mount and drag to Applications folder
# Or use Homebrew (coming soon)
brew install firmwire

Linux Installation

# Download the AppImage
chmod +x firmwire-v1.2.0-x86_64.AppImage

# Run directly
./firmwire-v1.2.0-x86_64.AppImage --version

# Or install system-wide
sudo mv firmwire-v1.2.0-x86_64.AppImage /usr/local/bin/firmwire
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/firmwire

Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with Firmwire in just a few minutes. This guide will walk you through your first firmware analysis.

Basic Analysis

The simplest way to analyze firmware is with the basic analyze command:

firmwire analyze firmware.bin

Compliance Analysis

For compliance-focused analysis, specify the standards you need to meet:

firmwire analyze --compliance=RED,IEC62443 firmware.bin

Output Options

Control the output format and location:

firmwire analyze --output=./reports --format=json firmware.bin

Command Reference

Complete reference for all Firmwire commands and options.

analyze

Analyze firmware for vulnerabilities and compliance issues.

firmwire analyze [OPTIONS] <firmware_file>

Options:
  --compliance=STANDARDS    Compliance standards (RED,IEC62443,CRA,GDPR)
  --output=DIRECTORY       Output directory for reports
  --format=FORMAT         Output format (json,xml,html,pdf)
  --severity=LEVEL        Minimum severity level (low,medium,high,critical)
  --rules=RULES_FILE      Custom rules file
  --verbose               Verbose output
  --quiet                 Quiet mode
  --help                  Show help message

scan

Quick vulnerability scan without detailed analysis.

firmwire scan [OPTIONS] <firmware_file>

Options:
  --quick                 Fast scan mode
  --deep                  Deep analysis mode
  --crypto                Focus on cryptographic issues
  --network               Focus on network security

report

Generate reports from previous analysis results.

firmwire report [OPTIONS] <analysis_file>

Options:
  --format=FORMAT         Output format (json,xml,html,pdf)
  --template=TEMPLATE     Custom report template
  --include=ITEMS         Include specific analysis items

config

Manage Firmwire configuration.

firmwire config [COMMAND]

Commands:
  init                    Initialize configuration
  set KEY VALUE          Set configuration value
  get KEY                Get configuration value
  list                   List all configuration
  reset                  Reset to defaults

Configuration

Firmwire can be configured through command-line options, configuration files, or environment variables.

Configuration File

Create a firmwire.conf file in your home directory:

[analysis]
default_compliance = RED,IEC62443
output_format = html
severity_threshold = medium

[reports]
include_remediation = true
include_compliance_mapping = true
template = default

[performance]
max_threads = 4
memory_limit = 2GB
timeout = 300

Environment Variables

export FIRMWIRE_CONFIG_PATH=/path/to/config
export FIRMWIRE_OUTPUT_DIR=/path/to/output
export FIRMWIRE_LOG_LEVEL=debug

Configuration Options

Analysis Types

Firmwire supports multiple analysis types to suit different security assessment needs.

Performance Metrics

Detection Accuracy

98.5%

+13.5% vs baseline

Analysis Speed

2.3x

+130% faster

False Positive Rate

2.1%

-78% reduction

Vulnerability Coverage

94.2%

+24% improvement

Performance Comparison

Buffer Overflow Detection

96%

Memory Leak Detection

89%

Injection Attack Detection

93%

Cryptographic Analysis

87%

Static Analysis (SAST)

Analyzes firmware code without execution to identify potential vulnerabilities.

firmwire analyze --type=sast firmware.bin

Dynamic Analysis

Analyzes firmware behavior during execution in a controlled environment.

firmwire analyze --type=dynamic firmware.bin

Cryptographic Analysis

Focuses on cryptographic implementations and key management.

firmwire analyze --type=crypto firmware.bin

Network Security Analysis

Analyzes network protocols and communication security.

firmwire analyze --type=network firmware.bin

Compliance Analysis

Checks against specific compliance standards and regulations.

firmwire analyze --compliance=RED,IEC62443,CRA firmware.bin

Compliance Standards

Firmwire supports analysis against major compliance standards and regulations.

Supported Compliance Standards

RED

Radio Equipment Directive

IEC 62443

Industrial Security

CRA

Cyber Resilience Act

GDPR

Data Protection

Analysis Timeline

Binary Loading

0-2 minutes

Static Analysis

2-15 minutes

Dynamic Analysis

15-45 minutes

Report Generation

45-50 minutes

Radio Equipment Directive (RED)

European Union directive for radio equipment compliance.

• Electromagnetic compatibility requirements
• Radio frequency spectrum usage
• Safety and health protection

IEC 62443

International standard for industrial communication networks security.

• Network security requirements
• Access control mechanisms
• Data integrity protection

Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)

EU regulation for cybersecurity requirements of products.

• Security by design principles
• Vulnerability management
• Incident reporting requirements

GDPR Compliance

Data protection and privacy requirements.

• Data encryption requirements
• Privacy by design
• Data breach notification

API Reference

Firmwire provides a RESTful API for integration with CI/CD pipelines and security workflows.

Authentication

POST /api/v1/auth/login
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "username": "your_username",
  "password": "your_password"
}

Analysis Endpoints

# Start analysis
POST /api/v1/analysis/start
Content-Type: multipart/form-data

# Get analysis status
GET /api/v1/analysis/{analysis_id}/status

# Get analysis results
GET /api/v1/analysis/{analysis_id}/results

Report Generation

# Generate report
POST /api/v1/reports/generate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "analysis_id": "analysis_123",
  "format": "pdf",
  "template": "compliance"
}

Webhook Integration

# Configure webhook
POST /api/v1/webhooks
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "url": "https://your-system.com/webhook",
  "events": ["analysis_complete", "vulnerability_found"]
}

Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions.

Installation Issues

Analysis Issues

Performance Issues

Common Error Messages

Examples

Real-world examples of using Firmwire for different scenarios.

Basic IoT Device Analysis

# Analyze a smart home device firmware
firmwire analyze --compliance=RED smart_home_device.bin

# Generate detailed report
firmwire report --format=pdf analysis_results.json

Industrial Control System

# Analyze industrial firmware with IEC 62443 compliance
firmwire analyze --compliance=IEC62443 --type=network industrial_firmware.bin

# Focus on network security
firmwire scan --network --deep industrial_firmware.bin

Automated CI/CD Integration

# In your CI/CD pipeline
firmwire analyze --output=./security-reports --format=json firmware.bin
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
    echo "Security analysis passed"
else
    echo "Security issues found"
    exit 1
fi

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What file formats does Firmwire support?

Firmwire supports common firmware formats including ELF, PE, raw binary, and vendor-specific formats for major IoT and embedded platforms.

How long does analysis typically take?

Analysis time depends on firmware size and complexity. Small IoT devices (1-10MB) typically take 2-5 minutes, while larger industrial firmware (100MB+) may take 30-60 minutes.

Can I analyze encrypted firmware?

Firmwire can analyze encrypted firmware if you provide the decryption key or if the firmware uses standard encryption methods that can be automatically detected.

Compliance Questions

Which compliance standards are supported?

Firmwire supports RED, IEC 62443, CRA, GDPR, and other major compliance standards. Custom compliance rules can also be added.

How accurate are compliance checks?

Compliance checks are based on official standards documentation and are regularly updated. However, final compliance determination should be verified by qualified professionals.

Technical Questions

Can I integrate Firmwire with my existing security tools?

Yes, Firmwire provides REST APIs and webhook support for integration with SIEM systems, vulnerability management platforms, and CI/CD pipelines.

Is there a limit on firmware file size?

Firmwire can handle firmware files up to 2GB. For larger files, consider using the streaming analysis mode or splitting the firmware into components.