SDR Crash Course: Hacking your way to fun and profit

Instructor - Neel Pandeya, Nate Temple, Wan Liu

Pre-Requisites - Attendees should have some previous experience with Linux, the Linux command line, and a programming language such as C, C++, or Python. Basic familiarity with DSP and RF fundamentals would be helpful but is not required.

Abstract - Wireless devices and wireless systems are increasingly becoming a fundamental and integral part of our world, and are becoming more of interest to security research professionals and hobbyists alike. Software Defined Radio (SDR) is rapidly becoming the tool of choice and a necessary skill for exploring and analyzing the wireless world. There has been significant innovation and development over the past several years, and SDR hardware and software has become much more capable and accessible than at any time before.

This workshop will provide a thorough introduction to SDR and will build a solid foundation for getting started in wireless security research. We will first cover the fundamental building blocks of digital signal processing, wireless communications and SDR hardware/software. We will then walk through various hands-on interactive exercises. We will then conclude with live demonstrations of a variety of applications utilizing SDR technology.

The workshop is based on USRP hardware and GNU Radio, an open-source SDR/DSP software framework, as well as other open-source tools. Attendees do not need to pre-install anything before coming to the workshop, and will use a customized Live Linux USB image to boot from.

The workshop will consist of three sections.

In Part One, we will review the theoretical background and fundamentals of wireless communications, DSP, RF and SDR. We will then discuss in detail the software and hardware used in SDR. Next, we will provide an overview of analog and digital modulation schemes, spectrum monitoring, and the identification and analysis of signals using all open-source software.

In Part Two, attendees will be guided step-by-step in the implementation of transmitters and receivers for a variety of analog and digital wireless systems. We will then analyze, inspect and visualize real-world wireless signals such as ASK, FSK, PSK, OFDM, LTE, 802.11.

In Part Three, we will perform a live demonstration of Radio Direction Finding and a wireless Replay Attack. We will then show a demonstration of receiving and demodulating recorded GPS signals, and other satellite signals such as Outernet, APT, LRPT. We will conclude with passively detecting and identifying on-air LTE networks with SDR hardware.

Required materials - Attendees should bring a laptop with at least 4 GB RAM and two USB ports, where at least one port is USB 3.0. It is recommended that you bring the most powerful laptop that you can, and in general laptops over five years old may not be suitable for the workshop. Attendees should also bring a blank USB 3.0 flash drive, with minimum capacity of 16 GB. Attendees will also be provided USRP SDR hardware to use during the workshop. Optionally, attendees are welcome to bring their own SDR hardware.