Join us in Las Vegas for Defcon34! We’ve got some really cool stuff from sponsors. You should swing by and grab and/or win some swag!
Smart Home in the Matter: Blink, Race, Attack CTF
Bitdefender and Netgear invite you into the smart-home arena, where the Matter fabric pulses with secrets, traps, and unexpected twists, and where AI can finally take a break while your critical thinking takes the lead.
Lights whisper in gossip patterns. A race keeps restarting, but the real winner may not be who you think. Launch attacks, hunt for vulnerable devices, dodge detection, and remember: the router might still have the final say.
Can you crack the secrets, outsmart the defenses, and conquer the challenges?
Hands-On Hardware Hacking – From JTAG to Root, Memory Patching Boot Process for Root Access
Rapid7 is back with more hands-on hardware hacking exercises. This year at Rapid7’s hands-on hardware hacking lab, you’ll dive in deep to gain root access on an IoT mesh Wi-Fi device. Using tools like OpenOCD and Segger J-Link Mini, we’ll guide you through modifying the boot ‘init=’ process in memory via JTAG, forcing the device into a single user mode shell via UART. Once in single-user mode we will address identifying and restarting the watchdog process to prevent system reboot , followed by rebuilding the environment, load drivers, and gain access to various file systems and network functions.
Raiders of the Lost Firmware: A Hands-On Workshop in IoT Firmware Archaeology
Encrypted IoT firmware doesn’t have to be a dead end. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll reconstruct a real vendor’s firmware decryption pipeline without ever touching the hardware, by chasing the artifacts the vendor left scattered across public archives, developer ecosystems, and shipped binaries.
You won’t break the crypto. You’ll borrow it. We’ll dig through Wayback Machine archives, map the platform’s public surface, locate the decryption routines inside the binaries, and emulate them to unlock encrypted payloads. The dig ends where the real fun starts.
You’ll leave with a transferable, software-only methodology for opening up modern IoT platforms, plus the tooling to run it yourself.
For intermediate attendees comfortable in a terminal, with some firmware/RE/OSINT background. Bring a Linux laptop or VM, 20 GB free, Python 3.8+, and a decompiler (Ghidra or IDA). Docker and binwalk optional
Discover GE Appliances!
Join us for a self-guided interactive look at GE Appliances and get hands on with some of our most popular home appliances! You may also interact with our GE Appliances Developer Portal that allows for adding external devices to the SmartHQ ecosystem, for synchronous control and monitoring of SmartHQ devices, and for your application to receive real-time asynchronous updates from your SmartHQ device.
Just Hacking Training
2 Mini-Workshops, Only 15 Minutes Each
QEMU: Emulate Your “Things” – Hack a Drug Lord’s Smart Toilet
Encryption! What Encryption? – Decrypt TLS Traffic with mitmproxy
No Schedule
Just Sit Down & Start Learning
Cat-astrophic Hacking: Breaking Into Smart Litter Boxes
What happens when your cat’s litter box joins the Internet of Things?
Join Suzu Labs as we dissect, analyze, and hack smart litter robots to uncover the security risks hiding inside connected pet technology. See the results of our research into connected litter robots, learn how attackers think, and discover why even the most unexpected IoT devices deserve a security assessment.
Stop by, ask questions, and grab some limited-edition swag inspired by our four-legged research subjects while supplies last.
All About UART
UART, it’s in your smart camera, router, maybe even your phone and it’s usually the easiest foothold into a device. In this hands-on workshop you’ll learn to find it with a multimeter, read it with a logic analyzer, talk to it with a UART adapter, and finish by writing a Python script that brute-forces your way past a login. No experience needed!
https://training.brownfinesecurity.com
Retia
Meshcore & Meshtastic for Beginners: Solder Your Encrypted Off-Grid Node!
Build your own cat-themed Nibble Mesh node and join the massive off-grid LoRa mesh networks popping up worldwide!
Reticulum for Beginners
Go beyond basic LoRa messaging and build a truly decentralized community network
Learn BadUSB Hacking With the USB Nugget
Automate computer hacking in seconds using the cute, cat-themed USB Nugget!
Solder Your Very Own IoT Purrsheen Cat Lamp with WLED!
Learn rapid prototyping and build your own open-source, internet-controlled LED art!
Learn Beginner Soldering with the Meow Mixer Badge
Want to learn how to solder? Build an interactive, color-tuning cat badge while learning the basics of circuits and soldering!
Meshcore & Meshtastic for Hackers: Advanced Node Setup & Deployment
Dive deep into advanced off-grid mesh protocols! Learn the key differences between Meshcore and Meshtastic, and how to customize frequencies and encryption.
Wi-Fi Self Defense & Hacker Hunting For Beginners
Get hands-on instruction using the Wi-Fi Nugget, a unique cat-shaped hacking microcontroller!
Off-Grid Pocket Server: Captive Portals & Local Networking
Ever wanted to run your own tiny universe from a microcontroller? Turn an ESP8266 into a self-contained, offline Wi-Fi pocket server!
Ludlow Institute
Expose Hidden Surveillance in Everyday Tech
Most devices are doing more than they admit.
We want you to hack them and show us what you find.
Join the Ludlow Institute Surveillance Mission.
Dump firmware, capture packets, probe APIs, or tear devices apart however you like.
Look for hidden microphones, unencrypted traffic, weird APIs, unexpected sensors, or anything else they’re hiding.
No limits on approach. Just bring the truth to light.
Prizes up for grabs.
