The ESP32 is a popular microcontroller known for its low price and useful features such as dual-core CPU, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. However, the wireless functionality of the ESP32 is distributed as precompiled closed-source libraries, which can limit customization and security auditing. In an effort to create an open-source alternative, the author aims to reverse engineer the hardware and create a fully working, open-source networking stack for the ESP32. They discuss their approaches, including static and dynamic reverse engineering, as well as their progress in transmitting packets. The author also highlights the benefits of an open-source implementation, such as affordable research opportunities in low-power Wi-Fi mesh networking.
https://zeus.ugent.be/blog/23-24/open-source-esp32-wifi-mac/