protocol-reverse-engineering

---
name: protocol-reverse-engineering
description: Master network protocol reverse engineering including packet analysis, protocol dissection, and custom protocol documentation. Use when analyzing network traffic, understanding proprietary protocols, or debugging network communication.
---

# Protocol Reverse Engineering

Comprehensive techniques for capturing, analyzing, and documenting network protocols for security research, interoperability, and debugging.

## Traffic Capture

### Wireshark Capture

```bash
# Capture on specific interface
wireshark -i eth0 -k

# Capture with filter
wireshark -i eth0 -k -f "port 443"

# Capture to file
tshark -i eth0 -w capture.pcap

# Ring buffer capture (rotate files)
tshark -i eth0 -b filesize:100000 -b files:10 -w capture.pcap
```

### tcpdump Capture

```bash
# Basic capture
tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap

# With filter
tcpdump -i eth0 port 8080 -w capture.pcap

# Capture specific bytes
tcpdump -i eth0 -s 0 -w capture.pcap  # Full packet

# Real-time display
tcpdump -i eth0 -X port 80
```

### Man-in-the-Middle Capture

```bash
# mitmproxy for HTTP/HTTPS
mitmproxy --mode transparent -p 8080

# SSL/TLS interception
mitmproxy --mode transparent --ssl-insecure

# Dump to file
mitmdump -w traffic.mitm

# Burp Suite
# Configure browser proxy to 127.0.0.1:8080
```

## Protocol Analysis

### Wireshark Analysis

```
# Display filters
tcp.port == 8080
http.request.method == "POST"
ip.addr == 192.168.1.1
tcp.flags.syn == 1 && tcp.flags.ack == 0
frame contains "password"

# Following streams
Right-click > Follow > TCP Stream
Right-click > Follow > HTTP Stream

# Export objects
File > Export Objects > HTTP

# Decryption
Edit > Preferences > Protocols > TLS
  - (Pre)-Master-Secret log filename
  - RSA keys list
```

### tshark Analysis

```bash
# Extract specific fields
tshark -r capture.pcap -T fields -e ip.src -e ip.dst -e tcp.port

# Statistics
tshark -r capture.pcap -q -z conv,tcp
tshark -r capture.pcap -q -z endpoints,ip

# Filter and extract
tshark -r capture.pcap -Y "http" -T json > http_traffic.json

# Protocol hierarchy
tshark -r capture.pcap -q -z io,phs
```

### Scapy for Custom Analysis

```python
from scapy.all import *

# Read pcap
packets = rdpcap("capture.pcap")

# Analyze packets
for pkt in packets:
    if pkt.haslayer(TCP):
        print(f"Src: {pkt[IP].src}:{pkt[TCP].sport}")
        print(f"Dst: {pkt[IP].dst}:{pkt[TCP].dport}")
        if pkt.haslayer(Raw):
            print(f"Data: {pkt[Raw].load[:50]}")

# Filter packets
http_packets = [p for p in packets if p.haslayer(TCP)
                and (p[TCP].sport == 80 or p[TCP].dport == 80)]

# Create custom packets
pkt = IP(dst="target")/TCP(dport=80)/Raw(load="GET / HTTP/1.1\r\n")
send(pkt)
```

## Protocol Identification

### Common Protocol Signatures

```
HTTP        - "HTTP/1." or "GET " or "POST " at start
TLS/SSL     - 0x16 0x03 (record layer)
DNS         - UDP port 53, specific header format
SMB         - 0xFF 0x53 0x4D 0x42 ("SMB" signature)
SSH         - "SSH-2.0" banner
FTP         - "220 " response, "USER " command
SMTP        - "220 " banner, "EHLO" command
MySQL       - 0x00 length prefix, protocol version
PostgreSQL  - 0x00 0x00 0x00 startup length
Redis       - "*" RESP array prefix
MongoDB     - BSON documents with specific header
```

### Protocol Header Patterns

```
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Magic number / Signature         |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Version       |  Flags          |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Length        |  Message Type   |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Sequence Number / Session ID     |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  Payload...                       |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
```

Before binary protocol or encryption analysis, read [parsers, structure identification, and TLS techniques](references/binary-encryption-analysis.md).

Before documenting a protocol or writing a dissector, read [the specification template and Lua example](references/protocol-documentation.md).

## Active Testing

### Fuzzing with Boofuzz

```python
from boofuzz import *

def main():
    session = Session(
        target=Target(
            connection=TCPSocketConnection("target", 8888)
        )
    )

    # Define protocol structure
    s_initialize("HELLO")
    s_static(b"\x50\x52\x4f\x54")  # Magic
    s_word(1, name="version")       # Version
    s_word(0x01, name="type")       # Type (HELLO)
    s_size("payload", length=4)     # Length field
    s_block_start("payload")
    s_dword(0x12345678, name="client_id")
    s_word(0, name="flags")
    s_block_end()

    session.connect(s_get("HELLO"))
    session.fuzz()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
```

### Replay and Modification

```python
from scapy.all import *

# Replay captured traffic
packets = rdpcap("capture.pcap")
for pkt in packets:
    if pkt.haslayer(TCP) and pkt[TCP].dport == 8888:
        send(pkt)

# Modify and replay
for pkt in packets:
    if pkt.haslayer(Raw):
        # Modify payload
        original = pkt[Raw].load
        modified = original.replace(b"client", b"CLIENT")
        pkt[Raw].load = modified
        # Recalculate checksums
        del pkt[IP].chksum
        del pkt[TCP].chksum
        send(pkt)
```

## Best Practices

### Analysis Workflow

1. **Capture traffic**: Multiple sessions, different scenarios
2. **Identify boundaries**: Message start/end markers
3. **Map structure**: Fixed header, variable payload
4. **Identify fields**: Compare multiple samples
5. **Document format**: Create specification
6. **Validate understanding**: Implement parser/generator
7. **Test edge cases**: Fuzzing, boundary conditions

### Common Patterns to Look For

- Magic numbers/signatures at message start
- Version fields for compatibility
- Length fields (often before variable data)
- Type/opcode fields for message identification
- Sequence numbers for ordering
- Checksums/CRCs for integrity
- Timestamps for timing
- Session/connection identifiers