dmoges
Published the first-hand SAO writeup documenting the WS2812B pass-through add-on board, Firnsy review, PCBWay run, and prototype completion.
SourceBSides Ballarat 2026 · Australia · 2026
BSides Ballarat 2026 Underground Badge
Interactive ESP32 conference badge with screen, controls, badge-to-badge comms, and SAO support
BSides Ballarat 2026's public event page documents an Underground interactive conference badge designed and produced by Firnsy at Ballarat Hackerspace, with ESP32 processing, a screen, controls, badge-to-badge communication, SAO support, and a limited BSides SAO add-on; a public maker writeup also documents a third-party WS2812B Simple Add-On for the badge. In a March 2026 post-event update, an organizer reported that the conference badge contained 20 puzzles and that its full source code had been released.
EventBSides Ballarat 2026
SeriesBSides Ballarat
LocationEmerging Technologies Hub, Central Ballarat, Victoria
CountryAustralia
People
Authors & Credits
Eurekative and volunteers
The official event page credits Eurekative and volunteers with developing the CTF connected to the Underground badge story.
SourceFirnsy / Ballarat Hackerspace
The official event page says the interactive badge was designed and produced by Firnsy at Ballarat Hackerspace.
SourceBSides Ballarat
Official publisher of the page documenting the Underground badge, event venue, limited SAO, and CTF framing.
SourceDr Paul Black
Published the March 24, 2026 post-event update reporting the badge's 20 puzzles and a stated full source-code release, while the canonical archive link remains to be recovered.
SourceWhy It Mattered
It expands Australian coverage beyond capital-city conferences with a regional Victorian BSides badge that explicitly ties badgelife hardware, a CTF story, local hackerspace production, and SAO culture together.
Hardware
An ESP32 processor, screen, controls, badge-to-badge communication, and SAO add-on support are identified on the event page. It also offers a limited-edition BSides SAO add-on sold with tickets to support Ballarat Hackerspace. A public SAO maker writeup documents the six-pin SAO context and a simple pass-through board using a WS2812B addressable RGB LED on pin 5.
Software & Apps
The Underground Badge is a CTF artifact that exposes encrypted logs, communications fragments, coordinates, and other story data as attendees break the challenge. A March 2026 organizer update reports 20 badge puzzles and a full source release, but it reaches the archive through an unresolved short link, so this pass does not treat firmware, schematic, or repository contents as independently recovered or inspected.
Lore
The badge fiction casts the artifact as black-market hardware used by rogue miners in an underground power-theft storyline. The CTF was developed by Eurekative and volunteers, with beginner-friendly progression and veteran surprises.
Lifecycle
Add-ons & Upgrades
SAO add-on
source-backed
Limited Edition BSides SAO
The event offered an exclusive BSides SAO add-on with ticket purchase, with proceeds supporting Ballarat Hackerspace.
Source
badge challenge
source-backed
Underground mining CTF narrative
The badge challenge centers on encrypted logs, hidden communications, coordinates, and a rogue underground bitcoin-mining operation stealing power from local businesses.
Source
hardware architecture
source-backed
Underground ESP32 badge core
The BSides Ballarat page documents an interactive ESP32 badge with screen, controls, badge-to-badge communication, and SAO add-on support.
Source
post-event badge challenge
organizer-reported
20 badge puzzles and stated source release
A March 24 post-event update by Dr Paul Black says the conference badge had 20 puzzles to solve and that full source code was released. The post directs readers through a short link whose final archive target was not independently recovered in this pass.
Source
third-party SAO add-on
source-backed
WS2812B pass-through SAO
A maker writeup documents a simple BSides Ballarat 2026 SAO board with a six-pin pass-through connector and a WS2812B addressable RGB LED driven from pin 5.
SourceOperational history
Issues & Camp Impact
missing rights-cleared image
note
No local BSides Ballarat 2026 badge image is published because the event-page images have not been paired with explicit reuse rights, attribution, source URL, and processing notes for catalogue use.
The entry remains image-free rather than copying conference-page imagery or publishing generated badge art.
- Confidence
- local project policy
- Status
- needs licensed original replacement
- Timeframe
- current catalogue build
- Source note
- badge.gallery image policy and BSides Ballarat event page.
source-code archive gap
note
The official event page documents the Underground badge's ESP32, screen, controls, badge-to-badge communication, SAO support, and CTF framing, and a maker writeup documents a WS2812B SAO board. A March 24 organizer post says the 20-puzzle conference badge received a full source-code release, but it routes through an unresolved LinkedIn short link; this pass therefore did not independently recover or inspect firmware, schematic, PCB, BOM, radio protocol, or production files for the main badge.
The record captures the post-event challenge and stated-release evidence while avoiding unsupported chip pinout, firmware, radio, protocol, software-license, or shipped-behavior claims until the canonical archive is retrieved.
- Confidence
- organizer-reported release but archive unrecovered
- Status
- needs public canonical source-archive link
- Timeframe
- 2026 post-event archive pass
- Source note
- BSides Ballarat 2026 event page, Ballarat Hackerspace reference, Eurekative reference, dmoges SAO maker writeup, and Dr Paul Black's March 24, 2026 post-event update.
Resources
BSides Ballarat 2026 CTF and conference badge
event and badge page · Official event page documenting the February 28-March 1, 2026 Central Ballarat event, Underground interactive ESP32 badge, screen, controls, badge-to-badge communication, SAO support, limited BSides SAO, and CTF story.
BSides Ballarat 2026 post-event CTF results
post-event organizer update · March 24, 2026 first-hand organizer update confirming the CTF results and reporting that the conference badge had 20 puzzles and a full source-code release; the post's LinkedIn short-link target was not independently recovered in this pass.
Ballarat Hackerspace
maker-space reference · Local hackerspace credited by the event page as the production context for Firnsy's badge work and beneficiary of limited SAO proceeds.
Eurekative
ctf developer reference · Organization credited on the BSides Ballarat page, alongside volunteers, for developing the conference CTF tied to the Underground badge fiction.
SAO BSides Ballarat 2026
SAO maker writeup · dmoges writeup documenting a BSides Ballarat 2026 SAO made for the badge ecosystem, including six-pin SAO basics, pass-through connector design, WS2812B addressable RGB LED choice, KiCad schematic/design context, PCBWay production, and first-board testing.
Sources
BSides Ballarat: BSides Ballarat 2026
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary source for the February 28-March 1, 2026 date range, Emerging Technologies Hub venue, Underground interactive ESP32 badge, badge-to-badge communication, screen, controls, SAO support, limited BSides SAO, Firnsy/Ballarat Hackerspace credit, and Eurekative/volunteer CTF credit.
Ballarat Hackerspace: Ballarat Hackerspace
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Credited maker-space reference for the local hackerspace tied to badge production and SAO support context.
Dr Paul Black: BSides Ballarat 2026 CTF results
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · March 24, 2026 first-hand post-event update reporting final CTF results, more than 10 teams, five CTF challenges, 20 conference-badge puzzles, and a stated full source-code release. Its LinkedIn short link does not expose a canonical source archive in this pass.
Eurekative: Eurekative
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Credited CTF developer reference for the Underground badge story and challenge context.
dmoges: SAO BSides Ballarat 2026
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · First-hand maker source for a BSides Ballarat 2026 Simple Add-On built for the badge ecosystem, covering the six-pin SAO interface, WS2812B LED design, pass-through connector, KiCad and PCBWay workflow, Firnsy design review, and prototype-board completion.