jwachlin / arduino_security_risk_examples

Educational examples of common C/C++ cyber-security risks developed for Arduino

Arduino Security Risk Examples

Educational examples of common C/C++ cyber-security risks developed for Arduino

The Arduino platform provides a unique opportunity for these kinds of examples.

First, microcontrollers are much simpler than modern computers, so the examples are easier to understand.

Second, many modern compilers add some protection against some of these attacks, which must be turned off for the examples to work on a computer. This is not required for Arduinos.

Third, microcontrollers are often used to control real-world physical devices that could be dangerous if they malfunction due to bugs or intentional sabotage of the code. Better understanding of the risks for developers is really important.

Fourth, the Arduino platform is more and more moving into the internet connected IoT field, with devices like the ESP32 and ESP8266 supported. While this is great for makers, it can be dangerous if those makers do not understand the risks.

Finally, Arduinos are low-cost, and the development environment is easy to set up, allowing anyone who is interested to start learning about security risks.