CS35L27-Covert-Channel-Analysis/docs/analysis-methods.md

# Analysis Methods

This document details only the objective methods and data sources used in the analysis of CS35L27 firmware. All narrative, interpretative, or speculative commentary has been excluded.

## Primary Data Sources
- Official CS35L27 firmware binary images.
- Publicly available datasheets and documentation from Cirrus Logic.
- Vendor-provided utilities for extracting firmware contents, where publicly redistributable.
- Open-source reverse engineering tools (e.g., Ghidra, Binwalk).

## Objective Methods
### 1. Firmware Extraction
- Direct extraction of binary images from hardware or distribution files.
- Verification of image integrity through checksums or hashes.

### 2. Binary Analysis
- Use of Ghidra and Binwalk for static analysis of binary structure.
- Identification and separation of code, data, and metadata sections.

### 3. Strings and Pattern Search
- Systematic use of `strings` and regular expressions to locate text and code patterns in binaries.

### 4. Function Identification
- Automated function boundary detection via Ghidra.
- Cross-referencing documented routines with observed binary segments.

### 5. Data Extraction
- Extraction of configuration tables and constant data from designated binary offsets using custom scripts.

### 6. Comparative Analysis
- Byte-wise and structural comparisons between multiple firmware images using `cmp`, `diff`, and custom tooling.

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All steps above use only publicly available tools and verifiable methods. No conclusions, narrative interpretations, or speculative extrapolations are included in this document.