how to edit firmware header in windows?

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Gameman Advanced Kid
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 4:13    Post subject: how to edit firmware header in windows? Reply with quote
I have already tried looking around but it seems like this can only be done in a Linux enviroment. Is there anyway to do this in windows?

Like, How do I remove or modify a firmware header in windows? or do I really need to use linux for the task?

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blkt
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:05    Post subject: Reply with quote
Use a hex editor and/or binwalk.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22255914

https://alternativeto.net/software/binwalk/

https://alternativeto.net/software/ida/
egc
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:33    Post subject: Reply with quote
I use HxD: https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/
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Gameman Advanced Kid
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 5:11    Post subject: Reply with quote
You told me the program to use. But did not answer the rest of my question.

Exactly how does one remove a firmware header in router firmware? I hear about this "removing the first 256kb".

please explain it to me in detail.

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barryware wrote:
It takes a "community" to raise a router..


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Some Techicolor modem > Linksys WRT3200ACM

Internet connection 2
Ubiquiti Powerbeam Gen 2 > Netgear R9000

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blkt
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 5:26    Post subject: Reply with quote
This is the point when the link in your signature heavily applies.
egc
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:08    Post subject: Reply with quote
It depends on the header there is no general rule as far as I know.
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Gameman Advanced Kid
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:11    Post subject: Reply with quote
My bad. I made a mistake.

I came to the conclusion that based on the responses I am receiving, this is something a programmer would most likely already know how to do or at least have some idea.

I mean how this user know that this was the header? All I can say myself is "I do not know".

https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=318557&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

and for myself, I am no programmer. Just someone who was/is a bit fascinated with the experimental firmware dd-wrt.

Sorry for wasting server resources. I figured this was something easy but I have to come realize its not.


Thanks for responding though!

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For people who are new to the dd-wrt forums >> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#rtfm

barryware wrote:
It takes a "community" to raise a router..


Internet Connection 1
Some Techicolor modem > Linksys WRT3200ACM

Internet connection 2
Ubiquiti Powerbeam Gen 2 > Netgear R9000

Official (but not really) dd-wrt General Discussion element/matrix chat

https://matrix.to/#/#dd-wrt-private-non-offical:matrix.org
MuzzleVelocity
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Joined: 23 Apr 2010
Posts: 125

PostPosted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 18:37    Post subject: Reply with quote
Gameman Advanced Kid wrote:

Exactly how does one remove a firmware header in router firmware?

Theres probably a better way, but you can use the extract-firmware.sh script in the Firmware-Mod-Kit to extract the contents of a firmware .bin. Amongst the results will be a folder called image_parts that includes a header.img file. That should be what you are looking for.

here is info on firmware mod kit:

https://forum.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Development
ian5142
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Joined: 23 Oct 2013
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Location: Canada

PostPosted: Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:55    Post subject: Modifying firmware header Reply with quote
In HxD.

One side is in hexadecimal, the other in ASCII.

The offset column on the far left is also in hex. Counting up from 0. Modifying the header means usually copying the header from a factory firmware file (TP-Link, etc, right off their website), usually the first section before the characters switch to all 00s, in hex. Or some other repeating character over many lines.

Make sure to copy and overwrite paste (replacing the existing header) not adding a second header.

Go up to save as and save the file, make sure to add the appropriate extension on the end (.bin, etc).

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