Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Hardware Interface Security Triage agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The hardware-security skill is a reusable instruction pack that gives an AI agent a structured checklist for examining electronic devices you are authorized to test. It covers identifying debug interfaces such as UART, JTAG and SWD, noting voltage levels, reading boot logs read-only, checking whether JTAG is locked, and hashing any extracted firmware. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to phrase requests so the agent picks it up, and what safety limits to respect.
Hardware Interface Security Triagezhaoxuya520/reverse-skill · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Confirm authorization. Make sure you own the device or have written permission to examine it, and that it is not live industrial or safety-critical equipment.
- 2Install the skill. Unzip the downloaded ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Prepare the bench. Gather a USB-TTL adapter or logic analyzer and a multimeter, and photograph the board to label its test points.
- 4Ask a specific request. State your ownership, the device and the interface, then ask for the step you need, such as locating GND, VCC, TX and RX.
- 5Check voltage and capture logs. Confirm logic levels of 1.8, 3.3 or 5V before connecting, then capture the serial boot log read-only and note the baud rate.
- 6Hash extracted firmware. If you extract an image, compute its SHA256 hash and pass it to firmware-pentest for analysis.
What is an agent skill and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions, plus optional reference notes, that an AI agent loads when a request matches the skill's description. This skill is for authorized hardware and embedded interface security research.
Once installed, the agent follows a workflow: photograph and label the test points on the device you own or have permission to examine, find GND, VCC, TX and RX with a multimeter, confirm logic levels of 1.8, 3.3 or 5V, capture serial output read-only while recording the baud rate, enumerate JTAG IDCODE and assess whether the interface is locked, and hash any extracted image. Firmware analysis is handed off to companion skills firmware-pentest and ghidra.
- Identify debug pads by silkscreen labels such as TX, RX, GND, VCC, TDI, TDO, TCK and TMS
- Match voltage levels before connecting anything
- Read serial boot logs in read-only mode first
- Record the U-Boot interrupt key and environment variables without running saveenv
- Compute SHA256 for extracted firmware images
What do you need before you start?
The skill itself runs no scripts and uses no network access. The hardware you need depends on the interfaces you plan to examine. The source lists these items:
- A USB-TTL serial adapter or a logic analyzer for UART (required for serial work)
- A multimeter to locate GND, VCC, TX and RX
- Debug probes such as J-Link or CMSIS-DAP (optional)
- binwalk and flashrom for firmware extraction (optional)
- The companion skills firmware-pentest and ghidra, referenced by path
How do you install the hardware-security skill?
Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. For a personal install, place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
Alternatively, in the Claude apps, open Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill there.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/hardware-security/
- Project install: .claude/skills/hardware-security/ inside your project
- Apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the skill
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need a special command. The agent loads the skill when your request matches its description, which covers authorized hardware and embedded interface security research, UART and JTAG discovery, debug pad triage, secure boot overview and offline firmware extraction support. State that you are authorized and name the device and interface you are working with.
Good requests state the goal and the ownership context, for example: 'I own this router board. Help me find the UART pads and capture the boot log read-only.'
- Mention the device you own or have written permission to test
- Name the interface if you know it (UART, JTAG or SWD)
- Ask for a specific step, such as checking whether JTAG is locked or hashing a firmware image
What are example workflows?
Each example below describes what you would ask and what the agent is designed to do. The skill's own checklist sets the order of work.
Example one: you have a development board you designed and want a boot log. Ask the agent to walk through silkscreen labelling, voltage checking and read-only serial capture, recording the baud rate.
Example two: you have an extracted flash image from a device you own. Ask the agent to compute its SHA256 hash for preservation and to suggest handing the image to firmware-pentest.
What safety limits should you know?
The skill reminds the agent and you about electrical safety, ESD and power handling, and defaults to read-only probing. It states that opening or modifying a device you are not authorized to touch is forbidden and may be illegal. Its routing notes also say it must not be used for unauthorized teardown or damage to others' devices.
Do not use it on live industrial or safety-critical equipment, because probing can cause damage or harm; the skill is for lab use. It is a triage workflow, not a tool that defeats secure boot or encryption. For secure boot or encrypted flash, it provides a feasibility overview with a non-destructive preference.
- Confirm physical access authorization and device ownership before starting
- Check voltage levels before connecting; treat ESD and power carefully
- Keep probing read-only by default
- Avoid live industrial or safety-critical equipment
- Do not expect turnkey exploits; the skill does not break secure boot or encryption
What tips help the results?
Photograph and label the board before connecting anything, so you can map each test point to its function. Record the baud rate and voltage levels as you go, since the skill's self-check asks whether you logged them. Hash extracted images so you can show later that the file was not altered.
Keep a dated record of your work yourself; the skill does not specify a format beyond these checks.
- Label test points with a photo before probing
- Log voltage levels and pin mapping
- Hash every extracted image with SHA256
- Use the reference note debug-interface-triage.md as a quick checklist
What people use it for
- Locating UART pads on a development board you designed and capturing its boot log
- Checking whether JTAG on your own embedded device is locked by enumerating IDCODE
- Documenting a bring-up procedure with pin mapping and voltage levels for a lab report
- Preserving an extracted firmware image with a SHA256 hash before analysis
Frequently asked questions
Is the hardware-security skill free to use?
The source for this skill is published under the MIT licence, as stated on this page. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms before you reuse or redistribute it.
What do I need to install the hardware-security skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What hardware do I need to use it?
At minimum, a USB-TTL serial adapter or logic analyzer for UART work and a multimeter to find GND, VCC, TX and RX. Debug probes such as J-Link or CMSIS-DAP are optional, as are binwalk and flashrom for extraction.
Does the skill run scripts or use the internet?
No. The skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, according to its listing. It works as a checklist and reference notes for the agent.
Can it break secure boot or encryption?
No. It is a triage workflow, not a tool that defeats secure boot or encryption. It gives a feasibility overview for secure boot and encrypted flash, with a non-destructive preference.
How does it compare to other hardware security tools?
This skill is a structured checklist for triage and bring-up. It does not replace hands-on tools; it references firmware-pentest and ghidra for image analysis and lists bus pirate and flipper as lab-only multi-protocol options.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are a security researcher, embedded engineer or student working on devices you own or are authorized to test, and you want a disciplined, read-only triage checklist. Pick something else if you need a turnkey exploit, need to defeat secure boot or encryption, or plan to probe live industrial or safety-critical equipment.
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