Connecting to an embedded Linux device over USB

Jun 30, 2016 9 Replies
B

I have a piece of hardware (drum machine) which I know runs a version of Busybox on an Intel Atom platform, I think.



It appears to have 256 megs of RAM and a gig of internal Flash storage.



I'm trying to figure out what the best way to hopefully ssh into the device and gain root would be, as it seems there's a corrupted file in the Flash storage that's causing it to crash repeatedly when using its custom user file manager. I've tried doing a factory reset and reinstalling the latest OS from an SD card - it has both types of USB ports and two SD card slots to connect external storage - but apparently the factory reset didn't wipe the user partition of the Flash and the corrupted file remains.



When connected via USB to a Linux PC it appears under "lshw" as:


*-usb:2 description: Audio device product: Beat Thang vendor: BKE, LLC physical id: 3 bus info: usb@1:3.3 version: 2.25 capabilities: usb-2.00 audio-control configuration: driver=snd-usb-audio maxpower=500mA speed=480Mbit/s


When Googling for information a Reddit user claimed to be able to ssh into the and examine the hardware capabilities and file system, but I wasn't able to contact him.



Any advice on where to begin?


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G

[...]

Well, what happens when you try to ssh to it?

$ ssh -v root@

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G

How is it connected to the network? (RJ45/Ethernet, Wifi, etc.)

Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! It's a lot of fun at being alive ... I wonder if gmail.com my bed is made?!?
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B

USB is the only thing I have to work with...

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G

According to lshw, it's a USB audio device.

You can't ssh to USB audio devices. In order to ssh to it, it needs a network connection. There is such a think as a USB network connection, but what you've got doesn't appear to have one.

Before you can ssh to it, you need to figure out how to get it connected to your local network. Perhaps there are optional Ethernet or Wifi add-ons?

Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! Hmmm ... a CRIPPLED at ACCOUNTANT with a FALAFEL gmail.com sandwich is HIT by a TROLLEY-CAR ...
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D

How are you (attempting to) access it's "custom user file manager"? Does the device let you plug a USB serial port adapter into the USB port? Or, a NIC?

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T

Take the lid off and look for a header that might have a serial port on it. It's probably be a 3.3v port that you can attach a USB-serial adaptor to.

Also look out for any other internal ports that could be useful.

Theo

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L

Den torsdag den 30. juni 2016 kl. 23.27.46 UTC+2 skrev bitrex:

open it up and find the ttl level serial port, I can't imagine it doesn't' have one

-Lasse

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B

Thanks, I have a USB to TTL serial cable so I'll give that a shot

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