Case study

ControlVault 3: reconstructing Linux fingerprint support

controlvault3-linux-fingerprint reconstructs the encrypted command exchange of the Dell/Broadcom ControlVault 3 fingerprint sensor and implements enrollment and verification on Linux. It offers a libfprint TOD driver for fprintd and an alternative standalone PAM path. The author describes deriving the channel from Windows USB captures and crypto hooks and reports testing on a Dell Latitude 5531.

Targets: Protocol
Category: Independent reconstruction cases
Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
Evidence class: C2 code & docs, no demo or download

Stars: 2
Last commit: 2026-09-01
Language: C
License (GitHub): MIT

GitHub data as of 2026-11-10

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Evidence

Observed: Code and documentation observed; no download method or demo found.
Checked: 2026-11-08

How evidence classes are assigned

Requirements & limits

Prerequisites: ControlVault 3 sensor with USB ID 0a5c:5843; tested on Dell Latitude 5531.
Prerequisites: Linux with the libfprint TOD development package, GLib, GUsb and OpenSSL for the driver path.
Limits: Other ControlVault 3 units and USB IDs remain untested; on-device template listing and deletion remain planned.
License: MIT licence.

Cite

BibTeX

@misc{controlvault3-linux-fingerprint-case,
  title = {{ControlVault 3: reconstructing Linux fingerprint support}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://github.com/japananimetime/controlvault3-linux-fingerprint}},
  url = {https://github.com/japananimetime/controlvault3-linux-fingerprint},
  urldate = {2026-11-06},
  note = {Awesome REA entry: \url{https://awesomerea.org/resources/controlvault3-linux-fingerprint-case/}}
}

Plain text

ControlVault 3: reconstructing Linux fingerprint support. https://github.com/japananimetime/controlvault3-linux-fingerprint (accessed 2026-11-06). Awesome REA entry: https://awesomerea.org/resources/controlvault3-linux-fingerprint-case/

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About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.

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Primary sources

README.md GitHub · japananimetime/controlvault3-linux-fingerprint · Revision a597fd3
windows/README.md GitHub · japananimetime/controlvault3-linux-fingerprint · Revision a597fd3