WinPE as a stateless harness for Windows driver testing and fuzzing
Summary
The article presents WinPE as a minimal, RAM-based testing harness for Windows kernel drivers, addressing challenges in CI/CD and fuzzing by avoiding full Windows installations. It details configuration techniques with BCD, DISM, QEMU, and KDNET to achieve fast, deterministic test environments and reproducible hardware mappings, including a shell-free, reboot-loop automation approach for fuzzing. Practical guidance covers boot optimization, network debugging, and safe handling of unsigned drivers in a controlled testing setup.