Repairing COTS Router Firmware without Access to Source Code or Test Suites
Eric Schulte, Westley R. Weimer, Stephanie Forrest · 2015
The speed with which newly discovered software vulnerabilities are patched is a critical factor in mitigating the harm caused by subsequent exploits. Unfortunately, software vendors are often slow or unwilling to patch vulnerabilities, especially in embedded systems which frequently have no mechanism for updating factory-installed firmware. The situation is particularly dire for commercial off the shelf (COTS) software users, who lack source code and are wholly dependent on patches released by the vendor.