Inferring Equivalence Classes from Legacy Undocumented Embedded Binaries for ISO 26262-Compliant Testing
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arXiv
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| author | De Luca, Marco De Angelis, Domenico Francesco Amalfitano, Domenico Cimmino, Pasquale Fasolino, Anna Rita |
| author_facet | De Luca, Marco De Angelis, Domenico Francesco Amalfitano, Domenico Cimmino, Pasquale Fasolino, Anna Rita |
| contents | Equivalence class partitioning is a well-established test design technique mandated by safety standards such as ISO~26262 for systematic testing of safety software. In industrial practice, however, its application to legacy undocumented embedded firmware is often hindered by incomplete or outdated functional specifications.
This paper proposes a binary-level methodology for inferring output-oriented equivalence classes directly from compiled firmware, without relying on source-level annotations or external documentation. The approach combines control-flow reconstruction and guided symbolic execution to analyze individual functions and group execution paths according to indistinguishable observable behavior, including return values and output parameters. An optional post-processing step produces human-readable representations to support comprehension and documentation.
The methodology is evaluated in an industrial automotive context through a practitioner-based study assessing correctness and interpretability. Results indicate strong alignment with expert expectations and a positive perception of readability and usefulness for supporting function understanding and test design. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and practical relevance of binary-level equivalence class inference for systematic testing of legacy undocumented safety-embedded software. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_22673 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Inferring Equivalence Classes from Legacy Undocumented Embedded Binaries for ISO 26262-Compliant Testing De Luca, Marco De Angelis, Domenico Francesco Amalfitano, Domenico Cimmino, Pasquale Fasolino, Anna Rita Software Engineering Symbolic Computation Equivalence class partitioning is a well-established test design technique mandated by safety standards such as ISO~26262 for systematic testing of safety software. In industrial practice, however, its application to legacy undocumented embedded firmware is often hindered by incomplete or outdated functional specifications. This paper proposes a binary-level methodology for inferring output-oriented equivalence classes directly from compiled firmware, without relying on source-level annotations or external documentation. The approach combines control-flow reconstruction and guided symbolic execution to analyze individual functions and group execution paths according to indistinguishable observable behavior, including return values and output parameters. An optional post-processing step produces human-readable representations to support comprehension and documentation. The methodology is evaluated in an industrial automotive context through a practitioner-based study assessing correctness and interpretability. Results indicate strong alignment with expert expectations and a positive perception of readability and usefulness for supporting function understanding and test design. These findings demonstrate the feasibility and practical relevance of binary-level equivalence class inference for systematic testing of legacy undocumented safety-embedded software. |
| title | Inferring Equivalence Classes from Legacy Undocumented Embedded Binaries for ISO 26262-Compliant Testing |
| topic | Software Engineering Symbolic Computation |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.22673 |