FX of Phenoelit recently presented a talk at the 27C3 CCC in Berlin, Germany on the topic of instruction set reverse engineering. Topics include obtaining byte code, analyzing it for basic properties, finding addressing modes, and implementing an IDA Pro processor module. The primary focus is on the transformation of byte code back into mnemonic […]
Category Archives: hacks
Star map: A breathtaking piece of sky
MrTrick made a star map: Now that Christmas is over, most of us have gone back to work, and the decorations are being packed away, the fake Christmas tree is likely to use up the most space in storage, and you only use it once a year! It’s a shame to throw it away, but […]
Logitech Revue rooted
GTV Hacker has developed a guide to installing applications and rooting your Logitech Revue. The new hack uses the Revue’s UART1 port to upload a start-up script which allows “root” access, allowing the installation of your own apps and access the full filesystem. You need to solder a set of leads to the mainboard and […]
Broken laptop recovered using Arduino
When Jack the Vendicator’s laptop display malfunctioned, he thought all was lost. He developed a rescue strategy using an Arduino as a USB bridge between the laptop and a desktop PC. He plugged the Arduino into the laptop, and connected a USB serial converter from his desktop computer to the Arduino’s serial pins. In effect […]
Running your own GSM stack on a phone
Harald Welte and Steve Markgraf presented at 27C3 CCC in Berlin, Germany, on the OsmocomBB project, a Free Software implementation of the GSM protocol stack running on a mobile phone. This provides the security researcher a tool equivalent to an Ethernet card in the TCP/IP protocol world: a simple transceiver that will send arbitrary protocol […]
Reverse engineering a real-world RFID payment system
Harald Welte presented at the 27C3 CCC in Berlin, Germany, demonstrating his efforts at reverse engineering the data format of a real-world RFID based debit card system. His efforts focused on the EasyCard system, which is a popular method of cashless payment in Asia. Slides of the presentation are also available.
Making of the Defcon 18 badge
Joe Grand of Grand Idea Studio presents the backstory to his design of the Defcon 18 conference badge. (Joe’s talk actually begins at 09:05.) The badge is based around a Freescale MC56F8006 16-bit digital signal controller and a Kent Displays 128-by-32 pixel reflective cholesteric liquid crystal display (ChLCD). Other functionality includes USB connectivity, seamless power […]
27C3: Console hacking
What if you got a game console for Christmas but don’t like playing games? You hack it to make it run your own code of course! This talk presented by bushing at the recent Chaos Communications Congress in Berlin, Germany, talks about the various hacks that you can use to gain control of your hardware […]
5 improvised prototyping methods
Here’s 5 cheap breadboard prototyping tips and tricks that can make your life easier.
Traffic lights and MIRT
Why do traffic lights seem to change green whenever emergency and government vehicles approach? Through the use of various technologies, one of which involves use of a Mobile InfraRed Transmitter (MIRT). An IR sensing device like that pictured above is mounted near overhead traffic lights and senses certain IR LED pulse codes sent by approaching […]
Wireshark analysis of wireless protocols
FreakLabs has an interesting project designed to conduct sniffing of protocols that ride on top of 802.15.4 such as Zigbee and 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over 802.15.4). The project utilizes their FreakDuino platform which contains an Arduino integrated with a wireless radio. The tutorial assumes that Wireshark is installed on your computer, the Chibi or chibiArduino release […]
Breaking SSL on embedded devices
Developers use embedded devices all the time, often without implementing security measures. When they do, they often rely on SSL. As revealed by the LittleBlackBox project there exists a collection of thousands of private SSL keys extracted from various embedded devices. These private keys are stored in a database where they are correlated with their […]
Barcode challenge for radio operators
Clearing out old posts before the new year, some of these might seem ancient. How to hand decode a QR code transmitted over HAM radio slow scan TV. Via Hack a Day. http://www.swharden.com/blog/2010-11-11-deciphering-qr-code-from-radio-spectrograph/
Teensy plays Guitar Hero
If you’ve got a Guitar Hero and have the urge to cheat here’s the circuit for you. Johnny Chung Lee at Procrastineering has developed a Teensy based circuit and program which analyzes the video stream from the game console to autonomously play the game. Via Hack a Day.
Air-powered Star Trek door
Clearing out old posts before the new year, some of these might seem ancient. Marc built an air-powered automatic sliding door for his house. Via the contact form.
TV oscilloscope
Clearing out old posts before the new year, some of these might seem ancient. Watch TV on a CRT oscilloscope. Via Hacked Gadgets.
Autofire mouse button
Peter added an auto-fire button to his computer mouse for his gaming console. Via Hack a Day.
Adding RAM to Atmega128
If you want more memory on an Atmega128 project, Scienceprog has a project for expanding the 4 kb internal memory up to 64kb using a 74HC573 to interface a standard memory chip. Via Hack a Day
WiFi for Arduino with Asus WL-520gu
If you want to WiFi enable your Arduino but don’t want to spring for a shield, Todbot shows how to use the Asus WL-520gu router. By installing the DD-WRT Linux firmware the Asus acts as a serial-to-network gateway for Arduinos (or most any other USB device).
Networked graphing calculators
These TI calculators are networked together, able to pass information and play games on a multi-screen playing field. Via Hack a Day.