Black Hat USA 2026 | Applying Information Retrieval to Vulnerability Research

You bought an IoT device, extracted the firmware, and dropped the main runtime binary into your favorite reverse engineering tool. Now you're staring at thousands of decompiled functions with no source, no symbols, and no obvious place to start bug hunting. How might an LLM help find signal in the noise, even before you've clearly established what "signal" looks like? The SiftRank algorithm reframes this uncertainty as an information retrieval problem. Instead of treating vulnerability discovery as an open-ended task for an interactive agent, SiftRank uses an LLM to repeatedly rank small batches of decompiled functions by their likelihood of containing a target vulnerability class. It aggregates each function's rank distribution, refines the candidate set across multiple rounds, and returns a fully ranked dataset with a calibrated top-k cutoff for focused analyst review. On BinPool, a real-world binary vulnerability dataset containing 95 CVEs across 28 CWE classes, SiftRank achieves 2.26x greater precision in binary vulnerability discovery compared to zero-shot classification. With SiftRank, the relatively small GPT-5 Nano outperforms its much larger sibling, GPT-5, by 32% in precision at a model tier that is 25x cheaper per input token. I'll demonstrate this algorithm on firmware extracted from a commercial network power controller. SiftRank processed 5,710 decompiled functions and surfaced a hidden diagnostic endpoint at rank #1, allowing RCE and leading directly to CVE-2026-41446. This case study tangibly reflects the same pattern that the benchmark shows broadly, which is that small well-harnessed models can behave like serious vulnerability research tools. This Briefing is a call for hackers to keep the hands-on imperative alive in the age of generative AI. Instead of surrendering the whole discovery process to an agent, we can get our hands dirty, decompose the problem, and invoke LLMs to make bounded, inspectable judgments as a basic research primitive. Caleb Gross | Security Researcher https://ift.tt/8ae3hfA

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ADD60wyrbg

Black Hat Stories | Ryan & Isabella Barnett

From conducting research together to presenting at Black Hat, discover how collaboration and shared experiences make the conference memorable.

source https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uQhAv68GjGE

Black Hat Stories | The Black Hat Experience

From new connections to meaningful conversations, discover what makes the Black Hat experience unique.

source https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nzUs5QhYExY

Ryan & Isabella Barnett, Akamai | Black Hat Stories

Black Hat is where the #cybersecurity community comes together to share ideas, tackle challenges, and learn from one another. Hear from Ryan and Izzy as they share their #BlackHat experience.

source https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lCbjqj9KIQM

Black Hat Stories | Ryan & Isabella Barnett, Akamai

Ryan and Isabella Barnett from Akamai talk about how Black Hat's cutting-edge research helps them stay one step ahead.

source https://www.youtube.com/shorts/p-XAEc3Hc2s

Black Hat Stories | Ryan & Isabella Barnett, Akamai

On this episode of Black Hat Stories, Ryan Barnett, Senior Threat Research Manager, and his daughter Isabella Barnett, a Software Engineering Intern at Akamai, share what it's like to present together at Black Hat, staying ahead of attackers, and what keeps them coming back year after year. From Isabella's early Black Hat experiences to Ryan's decade-plus of attending, they talk about what makes Black Hat special: the energy, innovation, and community.

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62ljM9dO_ns

Black Hat Stories | Founder and Creator of Black Hat

Cybersecurity is constantly evolving. 🔐 Hear from Jeff Moss on the realities shaping the industry today.

source https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MP757qc0rbw

Founder and Creator of Black Hat | Jeff Moss

Black Hat Founder Jeff Moss talks about Black Hat, the evolution of cybersecurity, and what it takes to stay one step ahead.

source https://www.youtube.com/shorts/E9rG0QNF7uQ

Black Hat Stories | Jeff Moss

Black Hat brings together the people, perspectives, and expertise that help cybersecurity professionals stay one step ahead.

source https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4mmHnhaMf-4

Black Hat Asia 2026 | Mobile Track Spotlight

Mobile security continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, with new attack surfaces, ecosystem shifts, and research breakthroughs reshaping the landscape every year. In this interactive session, members of the Black Hat Asia Review Board will highlight the trends, techniques, and vulnerabilities that stood out during this year's Briefings review cycle. Join us for a fast paced discussion on what's emerging, what's escalating, and what practitioners should be paying attention to next. Bring your questions—this session is designed to be conversational and candid. Anant Shrivastava | Founder, Cyfinoid Research Pamela O'Shea | Director, Shea Security Shanna Daly | CEO, Torin Cyber Group https://ift.tt/vSWGwVg

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZGwGYxYVCY

Black Hat Stories | Jeff Moss, Founder and Creator of Black Hat

In this episode, Black Hat Founder Jeff Moss reflects on the evolution of cybersecurity, the rise of AI and automation, and the growing challenge of separating trustworthy insights from an overwhelming volume of information. In a world of endless content, Black Hat continues to bring together the people, perspectives, and expertise that help cybersecurity professionals learn, connect, and navigate an increasingly complex landscape.

source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbPqeqUm9fQ