Fuzz Testing of a Wireless Residential Gateway

Abstract

The rise of cyber-attacks against the ever-expanding network connectivity has resulted in a need for conducting security assessments in home gateway devices, which serve as junctures between private and public networks. Fuzzing, a method where invalid, random, or unexpected data is injected into a system, has emerged as a potential candidate for such assessments. This study is centered around testing the feasibility of fuzzing against home gateway devices, using an action research methodology focused on evaluation through practical implementation. An important aspect of conducting fuzzing is the implementation of monitoring tools to capture data that causes the target to behave unexpectedly. This study found that both a process monitor and a network monitor are essential for overseeing the fuzzing session. The process monitor tracks the status of the target process, while the network monitor captures network traffic between fuzzer and target. The findings demonstrate that fuzzing is an effective tool for conducting security assessments of home gateway devices.