Hacking Hardware

DSTIKE watches are wearable ESP8266/ESP32 development boards that look like chunky smartwatches but function as portable WiFi attack platforms. They run Spacehuhn's open-source Deauther firmware and are used for WiFi security testing during authorized physical/wireless engagements. The form factor is the key advantage: you walk into a target facility wearing what looks like a fitness tracker, and you're running deauth attacks, beacon floods, and packet monitoring from your wr

The USB Rubber Ducky is the device that invented keystroke injection as an attack vector. It's a USB device that looks exactly like a generic flash drive but presents to the target computer as a USB keyboard. It types pre-programmed keystroke sequences at superhuman speed — up to 1000 words per second. Because it's seen as a keyboard by the OS, no antivirus, no application allow-listing, no endpoint detection stops it. Keyboards are trusted by default. There have been two har

In physical penetration testing, a "drop address" is a location where you receive or stage equipment without linking it back to your real identity or the testing firm. This could be receiving Hak5 implants shipped by a vendor, accepting a package at a location the target won't scrutinize, or staging equipment near a target site for a physical breach. The goal is to break the chain of attribution between the equipment, the tester, and the engagement. I'll cover the full spectr

Here's the complete workflow from blank file to shell on target, covering syntax, common patterns, compilation, testing, and deployment across all current Hak5 implant platforms. This article / guide is on how to create DuckyScript payloads.

DuckyScript is the domain-specific language created by Hak5 for programming keystroke injection attacks. It's the engine behind the USB Rubber Ducky, and now runs on nearly every Hak5 implant — O.MG Cable, Key Croc, Packet Squirrel Mark II, WiFi Pineapple Pager, Bash Bunny, and the Shark Jack. Despite its simple appearance, the language has evolved through three major generations with dramatically different capabilities.

This is one of the most brilliantly deceptive tools in the O.MG lineup. The UnBlocker looks and functions exactly like a standard USB data blocker — the kind security-conscious people plug into public charging stations to prevent "juice jacking" (charging without exposing data lines). It passes 5V power to any downstream charging cable. It even comes in three colors and can be customized with your own labels and logos to match the target environment.

The Packet Squirrel Mark II is a matchbook-sized Ethernet implant that sits inline between a target device and the network. Packets go in one RJ45 port and out the other — what happens in between is entirely up to your payload. It's a full Linux box running OpenWrt with a 4-way physical payload-select switch, DuckyScript support, VPN (OpenVPN + WireGuard), Cloud C2 remote access, and 20+ new low-level network manipulation commands over the original model.

The O.MG Cable is arguably the most covert implant in the Hak5 ecosystem. It's a USB cable that looks, feels, and functions exactly like a normal cable — same thickness, same flexibility, same 5V charging and 480 Mbps USB 2.0 data passthrough. Hidden inside the USB-A connector head is a fully functional implant: a microcontroller, WiFi radio, web server, and storage. The target will never know it's not a stock cable. Created by MG (Mischief Gadgets), now distributed by Hak5.

The Key Croc is far more than a keylogger. It sits inline between a USB keyboard and a computer, passively logging every keystroke while simultaneously being a full Linux box that can emulate multiple USB devices, trigger payloads on keyword matches, and give you remote shell access over WiFi via Cloud C2. Think of it as the Bash Bunny and a keylogger fused into one — with a brain.

The Screen Crab by Hak5 is a passive, inline HDMI screen grabber. You plug it between a computer and its monitor (or a console and TV, or any HDMI source and display), and it silently captures screenshots or video of everything on that screen. It's physically inconspicuous — it looks like a small inline adapter or dongle — and it can store captures locally to MicroSD or exfiltrate them over WiFi via Cloud C2.

This is the top-tier, fixed-installation WiFi auditing platform from Hak5. Where the Mark VII is a portable companion and the Pager is a pocketable tool, the Enterprise is a 1U rack-mountable device built for permanent deployments, large-scale operations, and the most demanding RF environments. It's designed to stay plugged into AC power and Ethernet and run continuously.

The Pager is Hak5's newest device — a standalone, battery-powered, pager-form-factor wireless auditing platform. Think of it as a miniaturized Mark VII that fits in your palm, with a screen, a buzzer, and a 2000 mAh battery. It was released in late 2025 and represents a significant leap over the Mark VII in several key areas.

The MK7AC is Hak5's official dual-band USB adapter that adds 802.11ac (5 GHz) capability to the Mark VII, which ships with only 2.4 GHz radios built-in. Here's everything that matters:

The WiFi Pineapple, developed by Hak5, is a purpose-built rogue access point platform designed for wireless network auditing and man-in-the-middle attacks. It runs a custom OS (Pineapple OS, based on OpenWrt) and provides a web-based interface called the Pineapple Dashboard. Here's a breakdown of its core capabilities and usage:

here's the full jailbreaking landscape and methodology as it stands in mid-2026. This is a(n) article / guide on how to jailbreak iPhone.

Hardware hacking involves physically interacting with electronic devices to extract data, bypass authentication, or discover vulnerabilities. Common targets: IoT devices, routers, embedded systems, smart locks, payment terminals, and medical devices. This is an article/guide on hardware hacking for hackers.

What kind of tablet are you working with? The setup differs significantly between Android, iPad, and Windows tablets. Let me lay out each path — you can jump to the one that matches your hardware. This is a guide on setting up a tablet for hacking.

The USBNinja cable architecture is distinct from the O.MG cable. Where O.MG uses WiFi + ESP32, the Ninja Cable uses Bluetooth LE + ATtiny85 with V-USB and adds a Hall effect sensor for magnetic ring triggering. The firmware is fully open-source and well-documented. Here's how to build a functional clone, from easiest to most authentic. This is a guide on how to build your own USBNinja cable.

There are three approaches, ranging from "afternoon project with dev boards" to "custom PCB in a cable shell." I'll walk through all of them so you can pick the right one for your needs. This is a guide on how to build your own O.MG Cable.

Here's how to build a pentest PC from parts to finished workstation — every component choice driven by what you'll actually run. This is a guide on how to build a PC for hacking.