Hacker Con Badges

DEF CON 34 · United States · 2026

Spectre Sniffer Badge (DEF CON 34)

Pre-event sold-out XIAO ESP32S3 EMF BadgeLife release

NilbinSec's live Uberflux listing identifies the Spectre Sniffer Badge as a limited DEF CON 34 release. At this August 3, 2026 source pass, the $80 listing shows 80 sold and no units remaining. Its maker-published description names a XIAO ESP32S3, a live EMF detector with a real-time spike graph, a randomized-word Spirit Box whose output rate follows the stated EMF signal, a SAO v1.69bis connector with I2C, one included Pac-Man Ghost SAO in one of four colors, a protected 18650 battery and lanyard, and one- and two-player arcade games. The seller says release is pickup only at the BadgeLife Village and announced LVCC locations, with missed drops donated at closing ceremonies. This is a source-backed pre-event independent BadgeLife record, not proof of final handoff, finished firmware, component-level engineering, instrument accuracy, electrical safety, official DEF CON admission status, or reusable-image rights.

Spectre Sniffer DEF CON 34 United States Las Vegas BadgeLife Pre-event XIAO ESP32S3 EMF Spirit Box SAO 1.69bis I2C 18650 Arcade Games Independent Badge North America
EventDEF CON 34
SeriesDEF CON
LocationLVCC West Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada
CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

storefront-listed badge maker and publisher

NilbinSec

The Uberflux product and maker-profile pages identify NilbinSec as the Spectre Sniffer Badge maker. The reviewed sources do not name individual hardware, firmware, artwork, or companion-SAO contributors.

Source

Why It Mattered

It captures a current, specifically enumerated independent DEF CON BadgeLife offering with an unusually clear maker-published interaction and pickup surface while keeping commerce copy distinct from an inspectable build archive. The record preserves its sold-out marketplace snapshot, sensing/game/SAO claims, and closing-ceremony policy without promoting product imagery, fictional framing, unspecified firmware behavior, or a protected-battery phrase into proof of production completion, measurement quality, safety validation, or rights clearance.

Hardware

NilbinSec's listing names a XIAO ESP32S3, a live EMF detector that it says renders a real-time spike graph, a SAO v1.69bis connector with I2C, a protected 18650 battery, and a lanyard. It also says one Pac-Man Ghost SAO in one of four colors is included. The reviewed listing does not identify the ESP32-S3 board revision, EMF sensor or calibration, display or indicator component, audio hardware, 18650 capacity or protection implementation, charging method, connector voltage/pinout, PCB dimensions, schematic, BOM, Gerbers, current draw, electrical tests, certification, or a safe modification procedure.

Software & Apps

The maker describes an integrated Spirit Box using a randomized word bank whose output rate is driven by its stated EMF signal, plus one- and two-player arcade games and unspecified badge/firmware/back-side secrets. No firmware source or binary, build or flash process, dependency list, protocol, game instructions, release history, software or hardware license, or public engineering repository was identified in the reviewed product and maker-profile sources. These seller-described behaviors are retained as claims rather than treated as a released implementation or a testable EMF instrument.

Lore

The listing frames the badge through 1980s ghost-hunting and arcade nostalgia and calls its front ghost legally distinct. It says this limited release is pickup only, with drops at the BadgeLife Village and other published LVCC locations; a missed drop is said to be donated to a hacker at closing ceremonies. At the August 3 source pass, its $80 listing showed 80 sold and zero remaining. These are seller-published pre-event terms and snapshot data, not evidence of each physical handoff, donation, attendee outcome, distribution schedule, artwork license, or official DEF CON credential relationship.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

SAO and companion artifact maker-published claim

SAO v1.69bis I2C port and included Pac-Man Ghost SAO

The listing says the badge has an SAO v1.69bis connector with I2C and includes one Pac-Man Ghost SAO in one of four colors. It does not disclose the connector's electrical characteristics, pinout, voltage, companion firmware, color allocation, compatibility test results, or reuse rights for the companion artwork.

Compatibility: Spectre Sniffer Badge (DEF CON 34)

Source
power and wearability maker-published claim

Protected 18650 battery and lanyard

NilbinSec lists a protected 18650 battery and lanyard. The listing does not identify capacity, cell make/model, protection circuit, charging method, charger, connector, runtime, electrical limits, safety testing, or replacement procedure.

Compatibility: Spectre Sniffer Badge (DEF CON 34)

Source
pre-event fulfillment maker-published pre-event terms

DEF CON 34 pickup, drop, and donation terms

The listing says pickup only, no shipping, with drops at BadgeLife Village and announced LVCC locations on a published schedule; it says missed drops are donated to a hacker at closing ceremonies. At the August 3 source pass, the listing displayed 80 sold and zero remaining.

Compatibility: Spectre Sniffer Badge (DEF CON 34)

Source
seller-described hardware and sensing maker-published claim

XIAO ESP32S3 and claimed live EMF graph

The listing names a XIAO ESP32S3 and calls the badge's EMF detector live, saying it actively samples electromagnetic fields and renders a real-time spike graph. It does not identify the sensor, calibration, display/indicator hardware, sample rate, accuracy, or operating limits.

Compatibility: Spectre Sniffer Badge (DEF CON 34)

Source
seller-described interaction maker-published claim

Spirit Box, EMF-rate behavior, and arcade games

NilbinSec describes a Spirit Box with a randomized word bank whose output rate is driven by its stated EMF signal, plus one- and two-player arcade games. The source supplies neither the implementation nor game, signal, audio, or firmware documentation.

Compatibility: Spectre Sniffer Badge (DEF CON 34)

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

SAO and companion-artifact compatibility gap note

The maker calls out an I2C-equipped SAO v1.69bis connector and one included Pac-Man Ghost SAO, but does not publish pinout, supply voltage, current budget, mechanical dimensions, compatibility list, color allocation, companion electronics/firmware, or test results.

The record does not infer standard-wide interoperability, electrical safety, external-SAO compatibility, or a particular companion SAO configuration from a product-description sentence.

Confidence
primary maker listing
Status
needs connector and companion documentation
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
Spectre Sniffer Badge listing.
battery, EMF, and electrical-safety boundary note

The maker names a protected 18650 battery and a live EMF detector, but publishes no cell capacity/identity, charge or protection implementation, current/thermal data, fault behavior, replacement procedure, safety certification, sensor identity, calibration, accuracy, interference behavior, or usage limits.

The catalogue does not turn the seller's protected-battery and EMF language into a safety endorsement, electrical-service guide, calibrated-instrument claim, or paranormal-detection claim.

Confidence
primary maker listing
Status
needs technical and safety documentation
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
Spectre Sniffer Badge listing.
hardware, firmware, and licensing archive gap note

The reviewed product listing and maker profile contain no schematic, BOM, PCB/Gerber, bill of materials, component references, firmware source or binary, flashing/build instructions, protocol documentation, release history, or software/hardware/documentation license.

Maker-published feature language remains traceable but is not treated as a reproducible build, released firmware, open hardware, free software, or permission to reuse technical or visual material.

Confidence
reviewed maker sources
Status
no public technical archive identified
Timeframe
pre-event source pass
Source note
Spectre Sniffer product listing and NilbinSec Uberflux profile.
independent BadgeLife and DEF CON credential boundary note

The marketplace listing presents a limited NilbinSec DEF CON 34 pickup release and its own BadgeLife Village drop context. It does not say that the artifact is the official DEF CON badge, grants admission, is sold by DEF CON, is included with registration, or has an official production/allocation status.

The catalogue classifies it as an independent BadgeLife record rather than an official DEF CON Human badge or a substitute for conference registration.

Confidence
primary maker listing
Status
documented as an independent pre-event release
Timeframe
DEF CON 34 source pass
Source note
Spectre Sniffer Badge listing.
missing rights-cleared image note

No Spectre Sniffer image is published because the Uberflux product and maker-profile pages do not pair a specific product image with a reusable license or explicit permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.

The pre-event record remains source-backed and image-free instead of copying marketplace photos, thumbnails, screenshots, placeholders, or generated approximations.

Confidence
local project policy
Status
needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
badge.gallery image policy and reviewed NilbinSec / Uberflux pages.
pre-event sales, pickup, and closing-ceremony donation boundary note

The live listing shows $80, 80 sold, and zero remaining, and says badges are pickup only with drops at BadgeLife Village and announced LVCC locations; missed drops are said to be donated at closing ceremonies. DEF CON 34 has not yet occurred at this source pass, so those terms do not confirm final construction, actual handoff, schedule execution, donation, recipient, or attendee outcome.

The catalogue records the seller's current marketplace state and stated policy without converting them into evidence of completed fulfillment or an event-wide distribution result.

Confidence
primary maker listing
Status
sold-out pre-event marketplace snapshot
Timeframe
as listed 2026-08-03
Source note
Spectre Sniffer Badge listing.

Resources

NilbinSec Uberflux maker profile maker profile · Public Uberflux profile identifying the maker handle as NilbinSec and listing the Spectre Sniffer Badge at $80. The profile supplies no biography, external site, source archive, or expanded technical documentation. Spectre Sniffer Badge maker product listing · NilbinSec's live Uberflux listing for the limited DEF CON 34 Spectre Sniffer Badge: the August 3, 2026 $80 / 80-sold / zero-remaining marketplace snapshot, pickup-only release terms, hardware and interaction claims, included SAO wording, and closing-ceremony donation statement. Its product imagery has no stated reusable-image permission.

Sources

NilbinSec / Uberflux: Spectre Sniffer Badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary maker-published source for the DEF CON 34 limited-release setting; $80, 80-sold, zero-remaining marketplace snapshot; pickup/drop and closing-ceremony terms; XIAO ESP32S3, EMF, Spirit Box, SAO, 18650, lanyard, and arcade-game claims. It does not prove final handoff, engineering details, safety, functionality, or reusable-image rights. Uberflux: NilbinSec Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary marketplace profile corroborating NilbinSec as the listed maker and Spectre Sniffer Badge as its visible $80 product. It has no independent technical, license, or image-rights evidence.