I2C

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Bus Pirate

To test a Bus Pirate is working, connect +5V with VPU and 3.3V with ADC and access the bus pirate (Using Tera Term for example) and use the command ~:

# Use command
HiZ>~
Disconnect any devices
Connect (Vpu to +5V) and (ADC to +3.3V)
Space to continue
# Press space
Ctrl
AUX OK
MODE LED OK
PULLUP H OK
PULLUP L OK
VREG OK
ADC and supply
5V(4.96) OK
VPU(4.96) OK
3.3V(3.26) OK
ADC(3.27) OK
Bus high
MOSI OK
CLK OK
MISO OK
CS OK
Bus Hi-Z 0
MOSI OK
CLK OK
MISO OK
CS OK
Bus Hi-Z 1
MOSI OK
CLK OK
MISO OK
CS OK
MODE and VREG LEDs should be on!
Any key to exit
#Press space
Found 0 errors.

As you can see in the previous command line it said that it found 0 errors. This is very useful to know it's working after buying it or after flashing a firmware.

To connect with the bus pirate you can follow the docs:

In this case I'm going to connect to an EPROM: ATMEL901 24C256 PU27:

To talk with bus pirate I used Tera Term connected to the pirate bus COM port with a Setup --> Serial Port --> Speed of 115200. In the following communication you can find how to prepare the bus pirate to talk I2C and how to write and read from the memory (Comments appear using "#", don't expect that part in the communication):

# Check communication with buspirate
i
Bus Pirate v3.5
Community Firmware v7.1 - goo.gl/gCzQnW [HiZ 1-WIRE UART I2C SPI 2WIRE 3WIRE KEYB LCD PIC DIO] Bootloader v4.5
DEVID:0x0447 REVID:0x3046 (24FJ64GA00 2 B8)
http://dangerousprototypes.com

# Check voltages
I2C>v
Pinstates:
1.(BR)  2.(RD)  3.(OR)  4.(YW)  5.(GN)  6.(BL)  7.(PU)  8.(GR)  9.(WT)  0.(Blk)
GND     3.3V    5.0V    ADC     VPU     AUX     SCL     SDA     -       -
P       P       P       I       I       I       I       I       I       I
GND     3.27V   4.96V   0.00V   4.96V   L       H       H       L       L

#Notice how the VPU is in 5V becausethe EPROM needs 5V signals

# Get mode options
HiZ>m
1. HiZ
2. 1-WIRE
3. UART
4. I2C
5. SPI
6. 2WIRE
7. 3WIRE
8. KEYB
9. LCD
10. PIC
11. DIO
x. exit(without change)

# Select I2C
(1)>4
I2C mode:
 1. Software
 2. Hardware

# Select Software mode
(1)>1
Set speed:
 1. ~5kHz
 2. ~50kHz
 3. ~100kHz
 4. ~240kHz

# Select communication spped
(1)> 2
Clutch disengaged!!!
To finish setup, start up the power supplies with command 'W'
Ready

# Start communication
I2C>W
POWER SUPPLIES ON
Clutch engaged!!!

# Get macros
I2C>(0)
 0.Macro menu
 1.7bit address search
 2.I2C sniffer
 
#Get addresses of slaves connected
I2C>(1)
Searching I2C address space. Found devices at:
0xA0(0x50 W) 0xA1(0x50 R)

# Note that each slave will have a write address and a read address
# 0xA0 ad 0xA1 in the previous case

# Write "BBB" in address 0x69
I2C>[0xA0 0x00 0x69 0x42 0x42 0x42]
I2C START BIT
WRITE: 0xA0 ACK
WRITE: 0x00 ACK
WRITE: 0x69 ACK
WRITE: 0x42 ACK
WRITE: 0x42 ACK
WRITE: 0x42 ACK
I2C STOP BIT

# Prepare to read from address 0x69
I2C>[0xA0 0x00 0x69]
I2C START BIT
WRITE: 0xA0 ACK
WRITE: 0x00 ACK
WRITE: 0x69 ACK
I2C STOP BIT

# Read 20B from address 0x69 configured before
I2C>[0xA1 r:20]
I2C START BIT
WRITE: 0xA1 ACK
READ: 0x42  ACK 0x42  ACK 0x42  ACK 0x20  ACK 0x48  ACK 0x69  ACK 0x20  ACK 0x44  ACK 0x72  ACK 0x65  ACK 0x67  ACK 0x21  ACK 0x20  ACK 0x41  ACK 0x41  ACK 0x41  ACK 0x00  ACK 0xFF  ACK 0xFF  ACK 0xFF
NACK

Sniffer

In this scenario we are going to sniff the I2C communication between the arduino and the previous EPROM, you just need to communicate both devices and then connect the bus pirate to the SCL, SDA and GND pins:

I2C>m
1. HiZ
2. 1-WIRE
3. UART
4. I2C
5. SPI
6. 2WIRE
7. 3WIRE
8. KEYB
9. LCD
10. PIC
11. DIO
x. exit(without change)

(1)>4
I2C mode:
 1. Software
 2. Hardware

(1)>1
Set speed:
 1. ~5kHz
 2. ~50kHz
 3. ~100kHz
 4. ~240kHz

(1)>1
Clutch disengaged!!!
To finish setup, start up the power supplies with command 'W'
Ready

# EVEN IF YOU ARE GOING TO SNIFF YOU NEED TO POWER ON!

I2C>W
POWER SUPPLIES ON
Clutch engaged!!!

# Start sniffing, you can see we sniffed a write command

I2C>(2)
Sniffer
Any key to exit
[0xA0+0x00+0x69+0x41+0x41+0x41+0x20+0x48+0x69+0x20+0x44+0x72+0x65+0x67+0x21+0x20+0x41+0x41+0x41+0x00+]

Learn & practice AWS Hacking:HackTricks Training AWS Red Team Expert (ARTE) Learn & practice GCP Hacking: HackTricks Training GCP Red Team Expert (GRTE)

Support HackTricks

• Check the subscription plans!

• Join the 💬 Discord group or the telegram group or follow us on Twitter 🐦 @hacktricks_live.

• Share hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the HackTricks and HackTricks Cloud github repos.