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What does 'binwalk -e -M firmware.bin' accomplish that 'binwalk -e firmware.bin' does not?
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Key Facts: PIPA Exam
2 days
Assessment Window
TCM Security PIPA page
2 days
Report Writing Window
TCM Security PIPA page
$299 USD
Exam + Course Fee
TCM Security
13+ hours
Included Course Content
TCM Security Academy
Browser VM
Exam Environment
TCM Security PIPA
Embedded Linux
Target Platform
TCM Security PIPA
The TCM Security PIPA is a practical 2-day IoT firmware and hardware security assessment followed by a 2-day report writing period. The exam VM contains real firmware, logic captures, and design documentation. Candidates must identify security vulnerabilities (hardcoded credentials, command injection, insecure interfaces) and produce a professional pentest report reviewed by TCM Security staff. The $299 purchase includes 13+ hours of IoT and hardware hacking course content.
Sample PIPA Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your PIPA exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1What is the primary purpose of a UART interface on an IoT device's PCB from a hardware hacker's perspective?
A.To provide a serial console for debugging and shell access
B.To supply power to peripheral components
C.To program the flash memory chip directly
D.To enable wireless communication protocols
Explanation: UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter) is widely used on IoT PCBs as a serial debug console. Attackers and security researchers target UART pads to gain shell access to the embedded Linux system, bypassing software-level authentication. Many devices leave UART enabled in production firmware.
2Which UART signal must you identify first with a multimeter before connecting a logic analyzer or USB-to-serial adapter?
A.TX (transmit)
B.RX (receive)
C.GND (ground)
D.VCC (voltage)
Explanation: GND (ground) must be identified first when probing UART pads. Without a shared ground reference, measurements of TX, RX, and VCC will be inaccurate and you risk damaging the device or your adapter. Finding ground is step one in any hardware hacking workflow.
3When performing UART baud rate detection with a logic analyzer, what is the most common default baud rate found on consumer IoT devices?
A.9600 bps
B.57600 bps
C.115200 bps
D.230400 bps
Explanation: 115200 bps is by far the most common baud rate used for UART debug consoles on embedded Linux IoT devices. While 9600, 57600, and higher rates exist, 115200 is the de-facto standard for embedded Linux serial consoles and the first rate to try when connecting.
4What does the FCC ID printed on an IoT device allow a security researcher to obtain?
A.Internal photographs, test reports, and hardware schematics from FCC filings
B.The device's firmware binary directly from the FCC database
C.The device's default credentials from the FCC certification registry
D.A list of all CVEs associated with the device's chipset
Explanation: Searching the FCC ID on fcc.gov reveals the device's FCC filing, which often includes internal and external photographs, RF test reports, user manuals, and sometimes block diagrams or partial schematics. This OSINT technique helps identify components, interfaces, and attack surface before physical access.
5Which tool is the primary open-source firmware analysis framework used to identify file systems, compression formats, and embedded binaries within a raw firmware image?
A.Binwalk
B.Ghidra
C.Radare2
D.PulseView
Explanation: Binwalk is the standard tool for firmware analysis. It scans firmware images for embedded file systems (SquashFS, JFFS2, cramfs), compressed archives, kernel images, and other artifacts using magic-byte signatures. Running 'binwalk -e firmware.bin' extracts identified components automatically.
6After running 'binwalk -e firmware.bin', you find a SquashFS filesystem. Which command extracts its contents for manual analysis?
A.unsquashfs squashfs-root.squashfs
B.tar -xvf squashfs-root
C.dd if=squashfs-root of=output bs=512
D.mount -t squashfs squashfs-root /mnt
Explanation: The 'unsquashfs' command (from the squashfs-tools package) extracts a SquashFS image into a directory. It produces a 'squashfs-root' directory containing the full filesystem. This is the standard workflow after binwalk identifies and carves the SquashFS partition from firmware.
7Which file in an extracted embedded Linux filesystem is the primary target for finding hardcoded credentials?
A./etc/hosts
B./etc/shadow
C./etc/passwd
D./proc/version
Explanation: In embedded Linux firmware, /etc/passwd often contains password hashes directly (since many embedded systems use legacy or simplified authentication without shadow). Additionally, /etc/passwd reveals usernames and account configuration. On devices using shadow passwords, /etc/shadow is the target but /etc/passwd is examined first.
8What is the purpose of a logic analyzer in IoT hardware hacking?
A.To capture and decode digital communication signals such as UART, SPI, and I2C
B.To supply regulated voltage to UART TX/RX lines
C.To identify short circuits on the PCB power rails
D.To program new firmware directly into flash memory chips
Explanation: A logic analyzer captures digital signal waveforms from interfaces like UART, SPI, I2C, and JTAG. Software such as PulseView (with sigrok) can decode these captures to reveal plaintext communications, credentials, or configuration data transmitted between chips. It is essential for protocol reverse engineering.
9In the context of IoT hardware hacking, what is the CH341A commonly used for?
A.Reading and writing SPI NOR flash chips directly
B.Decoding SPI and I2C protocol captures in software
C.Providing JTAG boundary scan access to a target CPU
D.Performing electromagnetic fault injection attacks
Explanation: The CH341A is a low-cost USB programmer that supports reading and writing SPI NOR flash chips (e.g., 25-series chips like the Winbond W25Q64). Hardware hackers use it with a SOIC-8 test clip to extract firmware from flash chips without desoldering. It is one of the most common tools for firmware extraction via flash reading.
10Which JTAG signal is responsible for shifting data into the target device's scan chain?
A.TMS (Test Mode Select)
B.TCK (Test Clock)
C.TDI (Test Data In)
D.TDO (Test Data Out)
Explanation: TDI (Test Data In) carries data shifted into the JTAG scan chain from the host adapter to the target device. The four mandatory JTAG signals are TDI, TDO, TCK, and TMS. TDI is clocked in by TCK, TMS controls the state machine, and TDO carries data back from the device.
About the PIPA Practice Questions
Verified exam format metadata for Practical IoT Pentest Associate (PIPA) is pending. The practice questions above remain available while official exam length, timing, passing score, fee, and administrator details are reviewed.