Advances in International Computer Science

Over-the-air firmware updates (OTA) for automotive Electronic Control Units (ECUs) represent a critical technology in modern vehicle electronics, significantly enhancing both functionality and safety. During OTA processes, firmware update failures or improper implementations may trigger ECU "brick" phenomena, severely disrupting vehicle operations. To ensure OTA reliability, developing robust anti-brick mechanisms proves essential. This paper explores implementation strategies for anti-brick technology through three dimensions: security, integrity, and rollback mechanisms. A comprehensive anti-brick solution featuring multi-level verification, redundant backups, and dynamic recovery is proposed to improve system reliability during OTA processes. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed anti-brick mechanism effectively prevents abnormal upgrade scenarios while ensuring stable operation of automotive ECUs.

On-board ECU; Firmware over-the-air upgrade; Anti-bricking mechanism; OTA upgrade; Reliability