Hugo Genesse
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceNorthSec 2026 · Canada · 2026
NorthSec 2026 Badge
Official ESP32-S3 NFC e-paper badge with post-event Apache-2.0 source release
NorthSec 2026's official registration page lists a new social electronic badge as an included item for conference, CTF, combo, and training ticket holders while supplies lasted. The official competition page's retained 2026 Solarpunk section says the hackable electronic badge was fully integrated into the CTF, with badge challenges worth points and on-site badge-firmware tampering among the physical tracks. Official villages pages document badge pickup through attendees' nSec order QR codes, soldering-village activity where attendees could enhance their badge with blinking electronic parts, and a badge museum. On August 3, after the May event, NorthSec published the separate Apache-2.0 `nsec/badge-2026` repository. Its commit-pinned hardware and source tree documents an ESP32-S3 badge design with an ST25R3916 NFC front end, six buttons, eighteen WS2812/NeoPixel LEDs, a 200×200 GDEH0154D67 / SSD1681 e-paper path, KiCad design files, production BOM/CPL/Gerbers, PlatformIO firmware, conference/CTF partitions, CTF assets, and dock/SAO directories.
EventNorthSec 2026
SeriesNorthSec
LocationBonsecours Market, Montreal
CountryCanada
Image Provenance
- Asset
- optimized WebP from official upstream front-board vector render
- Status
- licensed official upstream source render
- Source
- hardware/badge/svg/badge.svg
- License
- Apache License 2.0
- Attribution
- NorthSec / nsec/badge-2026 repository contributors
- Notes
- The source asset is NorthSec's exact official front-board SVG in the public nsec/badge-2026 hardware tree at commit 4dab9e6c4c0b8efc9a643ee646a49550453ea22c. A high-resolution 1800x1453 PNG export was made without design changes and preserved under Public/images/source; the delivery asset is its metadata-stripped 1600x1292 WebP derivative. The repository LICENSE is Apache-2.0. This is an official upstream front-board vector render published after the event, not a documentary field photo, a generated image, a placeholder, or an approximate reconstruction. The published badge.gallery delivery file is an optimized WebP generated from the rights-cleared local derivative/source with metadata stripped, WebP quality 82, and a maximum side cap of 1600 pixels when the source is larger; upstream source URL, license, and attribution remain unchanged.
People
Authors & Credits
Felipe Sáez
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceThomas Dupuy
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceFrançois-Gabriel Auclair
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceJérémie Galarneau
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceLam L.
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceMichael Jeanson
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourcePatrick Downing
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceSylvain Lemieux
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceJonathan Marcil
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceMarx314
Identified as the public author of the post-event custom firmware repository; this credit does not represent NorthSec badge-team authorship.
SourceMarc-Olivier Lavoie
Listed on the official NorthSec team page in the Badge team group.
SourceNorthSec
Official publisher of the NorthSec 2026 registration, villages, schedule, and team pages used for the conservative 2026 badge record.
SourceWhy It Mattered
It keeps the NorthSec Canadian lineage current with official evidence for social-badge distribution, CTF-integrated challenge behavior, and a post-event open hardware/firmware release. The record now uses NorthSec's own commit-pinned source for its technical surface and licensed front-board render, while preserving the boundary that a public archive, imported historical commits, and source tree do not identify the exact firmware or component revision fitted to every distributed unit.
Hardware
NorthSec's official 2026 `board_pins.h` maps an ESP32-S3 design to an ST25R3916 NFC front end, A/B and four directional buttons, an 18-pixel WS2812/NeoPixel strip, and a 200×200 GDEH0154D67 display driven by SSD1681. The official hardware tree also contains KiCad design files, JLCPCB BOM/CPL/Gerber material, dock hardware, and SAO designs. It is a public post-event source release, not an allocation or production-configuration ledger: it does not prove which source commit, exact populated component revision, or display state applied to every attendee unit. Marx314's report of an observed ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 / 16 MB build remains a separately attributed first-hand observation.
Software & Apps
NorthSec's official source is a C++ PlatformIO/Arduino project with shared hardware modules for NFC, e-paper, LEDs, and buttons; it carries separate conference and CTF partition layouts alongside public animations and CTF content. The official 2026 competition page independently establishes point-bearing badge challenges and an on-site firmware-tampering track. At the reviewed commit, the official repository has no tag, release, or released binary, and it does not identify an event-unit factory image or deployed challenge revision. Marx314's NFC-to-webhook project remains third-party replacement firmware with no stated reusable project license.
Lore
NorthSec's 2026 registration page places the event at Bonsecours Market from May 9-17, 2026. The villages schedule records schwag pickup for the t-shirt and badge, placing distribution in the attendee logistics flow. The older `nsec/nsec-badge` archive still has no 2026 branch or dedicated hardware tree, but NorthSec separately published `nsec/badge-2026` on August 3. Its March-to-May commit history records development chronology only; it is not evidence that the source was public during the event.
Source-backed hardware metadata
Technical Profile
Structured technical signals seeded from public badge documentation, repositories, schematics, firmware notes, or event evidence. These fields are designed for filtering, API use, repair planning, preservation, and future Companion Gear matching.
Artifact type
-
Electronic badge documented
NorthSec's official post-event hardware tree identifies the design files as the NorthSec 2026 badge.
Signal source
MCU / compute
-
ESP32-S3 documented
NorthSec's official PlatformIO configuration targets the ESP32-S3 badge project; it does not identify the exact source revision flashed to each event unit.
Signal source
Radio / wireless
-
NFC documented
NorthSec's official board pin map names the ST25R3916 NFC front end in the 2026 badge design.
Signal source
Display / visual output
-
E-paper documented
NorthSec's official board pin map names a 200×200 GDEH0154D67 e-paper display driven by SSD1681.
Signal source -
WS2812 / NeoPixel LEDs documented
NorthSec's official board pin map documents eighteen WS2812 / NeoPixel LEDs on the 2026 badge design.
Signal source
Repair, preservation, and legal lab context
Companion Gear
Parts, tools, and supplies that match this badge's documented hardware, protocols, or preservation needs. These are category-level recommendations, not compatibility guarantees.
Lab401
exact
NFC / RFID Test Cards
Cards and tags for legal lab use, owned test cards, documentation, and protocol exploration.
Why this matches
This badge has documented NFC/RFID or card-protocol signals. Matched technical signals: NFC.
Matched evidence
Open vendor search
- NFC Signal source
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
Seeed Studio
exact
Replacement Displays
Display modules and related parts for repair and preservation planning.
Why this matches
This badge has a documented display signal. Matched technical signals: E-paper.
Matched evidence
Open vendor search
- E-paper Signal source
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
Lab401
likely
NFC Field Detector Cards
Passive tools for non-invasive NFC field presence checks and documentation.
Why this matches
Field detector cards can help document NFC field behavior without modifying the badge. Matched technical signals: NFC.
Matched evidence
Open vendor search
- NFC Signal source
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
SparkFun
likely
Display Headers and Connectors
Headers, sockets, and connector supplies for display repair or replacement work.
Why this matches
Display headers and connectors are useful for repair and preservation planning. Matched technical signals: E-paper.
Matched evidence
Open vendor search
- E-paper Signal source
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
Seeed Studio
likely
JTAG / SWD Debuggers
Debug probes for ARM/RISC-V badge development, recovery, and documentation.
Why this matches
Debug probes can support authorized recovery, firmware work, and documentation for microcontroller badges. Matched technical signals: ESP32-S3.
Matched evidence
Open vendor search
- ESP32-S3 Signal source
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
Lifecycle
Add-ons & Upgrades
badge distribution
official event-page backed
New social electronic badge entitlement
The registration page lists a new social electronic badge as an included item for multiple NorthSec 2026 ticket classes while supplies lasted.
Source
badge pickup workflow
official schedule backed
Order QR badge pickup
The villages schedule told attendees to retrieve goodies such as their t-shirt and badge using the QR code in their nSec order email.
Source
hardware source
official commit-pinned public source
Official 2026 KiCad and production archive
The official hardware tree supplies KiCad board/schematic files plus JLCPCB BOM, CPL, and Gerber material, with dock and SAO design directories. It documents the released project design without proving that every recipient board was populated or flashed identically.
Source
lineage exhibit
official village backed
NorthSec Badge Museum
The official villages page describes a Badge Museum documenting NorthSec's long-running electronic-badge history and open-hardware culture.
Source
official CTF challenge surface
official 2026 competition page backed
CTF-integrated badge challenges
The official competition page's retained 2026 Solarpunk section says the hackable electronic badge was fully integrated into the CTF and that solving badge challenges earned points; it separately names badge-firmware tampering among on-site physical tracks.
Source
official firmware source
public source; no tagged binary release
Official conference/CTF firmware source
NorthSec's C++/Arduino PlatformIO tree includes shared NFC, e-paper, LED, and button modules alongside conference/CTF partition material. The public snapshot does not identify a tagged release, factory binary, or event-unit deployment revision.
Source
post-event hardware observation
first-hand source-backed; official map corroborates core peripherals
First-hand ESP32-S3, NFC, and NeoPixel hardware observation
Marx314's post-event attendee account identifies an observed NorthSec 2026 badge with ESP32-S3-WROOM-1, 16 MB flash, ST25R3916 NFC, a six-button D-pad, an 18-pixel NeoPixel ring, and an e-ink display path. NorthSec's later official map corroborates the common controller/peripheral shape but not the reported module capacity or every production variant.
Source
post-event official source release
official commit-pinned publication
Official 2026 Apache-2.0 source release
NorthSec publicly released the separate nsec/badge-2026 source tree after the event, including hardware, firmware, animations, CTF content, dock material, and source artwork. Its historical commit timestamps are retained project chronology, not proof of public availability before the event.
Source
third-party firmware
public source; license unspecified
Custom NFC webhook and e-ink firmware
Marx314's public post-event source implements custom NFC-to-webhook behavior with Wi-Fi setup and display/no-display builds. It is replacement firmware for an observed badge configuration, not NorthSec's factory firmware or Apache-2.0 source release.
Source
workshop add-on
official schedule backed
Soldering-village badge enhancement
The villages material describes enhancing the NorthSec badge with blinking electronic parts during soldering-village activity.
SourceOperational history
Issues & Camp Impact
hardware-source caveat
note
NorthSec's separate Apache-2.0 nsec/badge-2026 repository now publishes KiCad, BOM/CPL/Gerbers, a pin map, and C++/PlatformIO source for the ESP32-S3/NFC/e-paper/NeoPixel design. It does not identify a source commit, binary, display state, component revision, or assembly/flash configuration for each distributed badge. Marx314's write-up remains useful first-hand context, including its observed 16 MB module report, but it is not an official production ledger.
The catalogue can document the official technical surface and CTF integration without presenting the published design snapshot or any third-party observation as a universal recipient-unit configuration.
- Confidence
- official post-event source plus first-hand observation
- Status
- official design source documented; event-unit deployment scope remains open
- Timeframe
- official source published 2026-08-03; reviewed 2026-08-04
- Source note
- nsec/badge-2026 commit 4dab9e6c4c0b8efc9a643ee646a49550453ea22c hardware tree, board_pins.h, platformio.ini, and LICENSE; NorthSec 2026 registration/competition/villages/schedule pages; NSEC26 Badge Shenanigans.
official-source publication and deployment boundary
note
The official nsec/badge-2026 repository appeared publicly after NorthSec 2026. Its March-to-May authored commit history documents development chronology but does not establish public availability during the May event. The reviewed repository has no tag, GitHub release, or published binary, and no source maps a specific commit to a physical attendee unit or deployed CTF state.
Readers can inspect a real official source release while the catalogue avoids backdating its publication, claiming a particular factory image, or treating one source revision as proof for every badge handed out.
- Confidence
- commit-pinned official GitHub publication
- Status
- documented; public source release is post-event
- Timeframe
- 2026-08-03 publication snapshot
- Source note
- nsec/badge-2026 commit 4dab9e6c4c0b8efc9a643ee646a49550453ea22c repository tree, commit history, and releases/tags surfaces reviewed 2026-08-04.
third-party firmware license caveat
note
The public marx314/nsec-badge-2026-nfc-webhook project has no GitLab license metadata, root LICENSE or LICENSE.md file, tag, or release that declares reuse terms. Its visible source must therefore not be represented as Apache-2.0, officially released by NorthSec, or otherwise reusable by default.
Readers can inspect the custom firmware trail, but the catalogue does not imply permission to redistribute, modify, or reuse it and keeps it distinct from NorthSec's separately published Apache-2.0 source archive.
- Confidence
- repository metadata audit
- Status
- source visible; license unspecified
- Timeframe
- post-event recheck on 2026-08-04
- Source note
- marx314/nsec-badge-2026-nfc-webhook project metadata, default-branch tree, README, and license-file checks on 2026-08-04; nsec/badge-2026 LICENSE for the separate official source-release boundary.
Resources
Marx314 custom NFC-webhook firmware
third-party firmware · Public custom firmware for NorthSec 2026 badge hardware, with NFC-to-webhook behavior, configuration/setup support, and display/no-display build paths; it is not an official NorthSec factory release, has no stated project license, and remains separate from the Apache-2.0 official source tree.
NSEC26 Badge Shenanigans
first-hand technical write-up · Marx314's post-event account of an observed NorthSec 2026 badge, including the boundary between NorthSec-made hardware and custom personal firmware; its 16 MB module statement remains first-hand observation rather than a production-wide official claim.
NorthSec 2026 Apache-2.0 license
license · Official commit-pinned Apache License 2.0 text for nsec/badge-2026, including the license basis recorded for the selected upstream front-board vector render.
NorthSec 2026 PlatformIO build configuration
firmware source · Official C++/Arduino PlatformIO build configuration for the public badge source. The source tree includes conference/CTF partition material but no tagged or released event binary.
NorthSec 2026 board pin map
hardware documentation · Official ESP32-S3 hardware map for ST25R3916 NFC, 200×200 SSD1681 e-paper, six buttons, and eighteen WS2812/NeoPixel LEDs.
NorthSec 2026 competition page
official CTF page · Official competition page whose retained 2026 Solarpunk section says the hackable electronic badge was fully integrated into the CTF, with point-bearing badge challenges and on-site badge-firmware tampering among physical tracks.
NorthSec 2026 hardware and production files
hardware archive · Official KiCad design, production BOM/CPL/Gerber, dock, SAO, and source-artwork tree for the 2026 badge. It documents the project design without identifying a specific physical recipient unit.
NorthSec 2026 official front-board vector
image source · Official front-board SVG used as the exact source for the local high-resolution PNG and optimized WebP derivative; provenance records its source URL, Apache-2.0 license basis, repository attribution, and non-destructive processing.
NorthSec 2026 official source release
source archive · Commit-pinned official Apache-2.0 nsec/badge-2026 source release. It appeared publicly on 2026-08-03, after the event, and had no tag, GitHub release, or binary artifact at review time.
NorthSec 2026 registration page
event page · Official registration source for May 9-17, 2026 dates, Bonsecours Market venue, ticket entitlements, and the new social electronic badge while supplies lasted.
NorthSec legacy public badge-source archive
legacy source archive · The legacy nsec/nsec-badge archive lacked a 2026 branch, tag, or dedicated hardware tree at its 2026-08-03 recheck. It remains useful for lineage context, but NorthSec's separate nsec/badge-2026 repository now provides the official 2026 source release.
NorthSec team page
credits · Official team page naming the 2026 badge team members used for public credit records.
NorthSec villages page
village page · Official villages page documenting the soldering village, badge enhancements with blinking electronic parts, and a Badge Museum focused on NorthSec's electronic badges.
NorthSec villages schedule
schedule · Official community-room schedule source for all-day schwag pickup where attendees retrieved their t-shirt and badge with the nSec order QR code, plus soldering-village badge enhancement sessions and Badge Museum hours.
Sources
Hubert Hackin' / Marx314: NSEC26 Badge Shenanigans
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · First-hand post-event attendee write-up for an observed NorthSec 2026 badge with ESP32-S3, NFC, buttons, NeoPixels, and an e-ink display path; it explicitly separates the NorthSec-made hardware from the author's custom firmware. Its reported 16 MB module configuration remains source-scoped to that observation.
Marx314 / GitLab: marx314/nsec-badge-2026-nfc-webhook
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Public third-party firmware source for custom NFC-to-webhook behavior. Its README describes ESP32-S3-WROOM-1, 16 MB flash, ST25R3916 NFC, a six-button D-pad, and an 18-pixel NeoPixel ring; the project tree includes display and no-display builds but no project license metadata or root license file. It is separate from NorthSec's Apache-2.0 source release.
NorthSec: NorthSec 2026
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official event and registration source for dates, venue, ticket classes, and the new social electronic badge entitlement.
NorthSec: Competition (CTF)
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official competition source whose retained 2026 Solarpunk section says the hackable electronic badge was fully integrated into the CTF, with badge challenges for points and on-site badge-firmware tampering among physical tracks.
NorthSec: Villages
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official source for the soldering village, badge-enhancement workshop language, blinking electronic-parts framing, and NorthSec Badge Museum context.
NorthSec: Villages Schedule
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official schedule source for t-shirt and badge pickup using nSec order QR codes, badge enhancement sessions, and Badge Museum hours.
NorthSec: Team
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official source naming the NorthSec 2026 badge team members credited by the catalogue.
NorthSec / GitHub: NorthSec legacy public badge-source archive recheck
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · The historical nsec/nsec-badge archive rechecked on 2026-08-03 had no 2026 branch, tag, or dedicated hardware tree. That finding applies only to the legacy archive and is no longer an official-2026-source gap: NorthSec separately published nsec/badge-2026.
NorthSec / GitHub: nsec/badge-2026 official source release
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official NorthSec 2026 badge source snapshot at commit 4dab9e6c4c0b8efc9a643ee646a49550453ea22c. The public repository appeared on 2026-08-03 after the May event, carries Apache-2.0 licensing, and had no tagged release, GitHub release, or published binary at review time. Its earlier authored commits record development history, not prior public availability.
NorthSec / GitHub: NorthSec 2026 hardware and production archive
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official hardware directory whose README identifies the NorthSec 2026 badge design. It contains KiCad board and schematic files, JLCPCB BOM/CPL/Gerber production material, dock hardware, and source artwork; it proves a public post-event design archive, not a per-recipient production configuration.
NorthSec / GitHub: NorthSec 2026 board pin map
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official source header mapping ST25R3916 NFC, the 200×200 GDEH0154D67 / SSD1681 e-paper path, six buttons, and eighteen WS2812/NeoPixel LEDs on the ESP32-S3 design.
NorthSec / GitHub: NorthSec 2026 PlatformIO configuration
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official build configuration for the C++/Arduino PlatformIO source tree. The repository also carries conference/CTF partition material and source modules, but this source does not establish a tagged or physically deployed event firmware image.
NorthSec / GitHub: NorthSec 2026 Apache-2.0 license
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Commit-pinned official Apache License 2.0 text for the public nsec/badge-2026 repository, used as the reuse basis for the repository's selected front-board source render.
NorthSec / GitHub: NorthSec 2026 official front-board vector
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official source SVG for the NorthSec 2026 front-board artwork. The catalogue's local image is a high-resolution raster export of this exact vector, with NorthSec repository attribution, Apache-2.0 license basis, and processing notes recorded in BadgeImage metadata.