College of Engineering Unit:
The objective of this project is unlike other projects which are intended to produce a product for users. This was a research project focused on characterizing and exploiting the security vulnerabilities of a consumer grade electronic safe lock. The key technologies implemented during this project were simultaneous digital and analog signal analysis to characterize the lock, circuit and PCB design for the user input simulation and brown-out circuits, and code development for the interactive touch screen. Developing each aspect of the project individually was creatively challenging and required a unique effort from each team member. Combining each element into a cohesive system that functions consistently as desired proved to be even more difficult. The most notable accomplishment of this project is successfully opening the lock with a non-intrusive attack by using the only available external interface, the barrel jack. Achieving this required a definite understanding of the lock’s behavior and electrical design. The most challenging aspect of this project was conducting research and developing circuits in parallel while working under time constraints. The project could be expanded in the future by using the knowledge gained and circuits created to attack other types of locks.
Project Website(s):