Understanding the UART/JTAG/Pinouts on the Amazon Echo

[dj_skully]

Hi all, longtime lurker here. I am continuing to work on my project of reverse engineering the Echo. Specifically, my research partner and I are looking at the pinouts on the device to include:

• eMMC style root via the Sandisk eMMC card on the motherboard
  ref: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWfSyxYMsPA
• JTAG pinouts
  ref: https://twitter.com/bill_billbill_/status/617547530092412928
• Pins on the bottom of the device: I know that there exists a serial debug/developer board that interfaces the device through the pins on the bottom. If we can continue to learn more about it (some others have posted about the U-Boot process) then it is possible to root the device this way. I also know that it is possible to solder in an sd-card (if we can decipher the pinout) and boot from that.
  ref device at 11 seconds in this video: http://www.cnet.com/videos/alexa-unlock-my-door-vivint-now-works-with-amazon-echo/
  ref forum posts from members of this board: http://www.piettes.com/echo/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=20
  and: http://www.echotalk.org/index.php/topic,164.0.html

 I have set up a slack channel, and am open to other forms of communication if anyone wishes to contribute to the project just PM me or post back here!

I'm fairly new to hardware hacking (pentesting is my thing) so would really love to hear from some of the members of the community out there.

[jwlv]

If you want root access to your Echo, this article describes how.
The login is 'root' and the password is 'echo'

https://github.com/echohacking/wiki/wiki/Echo

Note: I do not know who the author of this article. I have not tried this and cannot confirm if what it describes actually works. As with just about any electronics, you will void any manufacturer warranties if you make hardware modifications.

[asianrocker]

Wow. Loooking at links on first post and I thought wow this is cool. Then realized they're like 2 years ago. The first people that got the echo pioneered switching their lights on/off through echo. And realizing that's how amazon got their idea of home automation. 

I mean those people have to hack their way for home automation 2 years ago. While I only need to enable the skill now. And I still don't use echo for that, LOL.