HITBSecConf2018 Dubai Badge
A conservative record for the special-edition electronic badge given to HITBSecConf2018 Dubai attendees, documented by the official event archive as a hackable badge with Badge Village support.
Country dossier
United Arab Emirates
Worldwide badge coverage for United Arab Emirates, grouped into seeded badges, event editions, add-ons, operational issues, resources, and evidence sources.
Seeded artifacts
Badges
HITB+CyberWeek 2021 Packet Hack Badge
A source-backed Packet Hack Badge record for HITB+CyberWeek 2021 Abu Dhabi, documented by a first-hand Hackster project page and a public firmware repository.
Events
Camp and Event Editions
HITBSecConf2018 Dubai
Hack In The Box's 2018 return to Dubai and the Middle East after an eight-year hiatus, with a special-edition electronic badge for attendees and a Badge Village for reprogramming, unlocking features, mini-games, and functional expansion.
HITB+CyberWeek 2021 Abu Dhabi
The November 21-25, 2021 HITB+CyberWeek hybrid event in Abu Dhabi whose public event pages document ADNEC context, hardware and software challenges, competitions, and Packet Hack Badge lineage.
Lifecycle
Add-ons & Upgrades
HITBSecConf2018 Dubai Badge
source-backed
Secret features and mini-games
HITB described badge hacking as a path to unlock secret features, mini-games, and expanded functionality during the Dubai event.
HITB+CyberWeek 2021 Packet Hack Badge
source-backed
Handle personalization and serial hooks
The README documents `make HANDLE=...` personalization, and the Hackster writeup describes lanrat's quick script for flashing usernames plus serial communication hooks tied to Rx/Tx pins.
HITB+CyberWeek 2021 Packet Hack Badge
source-backed
Packet Hack CTF binary-input mode
The Hackster writeup says holding S1 launches Insert Code mode, where right-side keys enter a Packet Hack CTF binary value and S2 clears input.
HITBSecConf2018 Dubai Badge
historical
Hands-on CommSec village context
The badge sat in a broader hands-on event environment with soldering, hardware/chip-off, IoT, car-hacking, wireless, AI, open-source, and maker activities.
HITB+CyberWeek 2021 Packet Hack Badge
source-backed
AVR OLED display firmware loop
The public firmware initializes TWI and OLED display handling, personalizes a handle, and cycles Packet Hack and HITB imagery on the badge.
HITB+CyberWeek 2021 Packet Hack Badge
source-backed
ISP reprogramming and pinout path
The project documents male headers, pinouts, jumper wires, ISP programmer use, Microchip Studio / AVR toolchain builds, avrdude flashing, and fuse recipes.
HITBSecConf2018 Dubai Badge
source-backed
Badge Village reprogramming path
The event archive says Badge Village helped attendees get started reprogramming the special-edition badge and hacking it to do more.
Operational history
Issues & Camp Impact
The public badge sources tie the Packet Hack Badge to HITB+CyberWeek and Packet Hack Village, but do not document exact attendee eligibility, distribution count, or whether it was issued to all conference attendees.
The record is treated as a Packet Hack Village / HITB+CyberWeek artifact rather than a universal admission credential.
The official archive proves a special-edition electronic badge and Badge Village hacking path, but this pass did not recover schematic, firmware, BOM, chip, or repository evidence.
The dossier records distribution and hacking context while avoiding unsupported component-level claims.
The recovered sources document the wearable badge, OLED, controls, headers, pinouts, AVR/ISP flashing, firmware behavior, and CTF mode, but this pass did not recover a schematic, BOM, board files, exact MCU package, or production quantity.
The record stays at source-backed hardware surfaces and avoids unsupported component-level claims.
No local HITBSecConf2018 Dubai badge photo has been added because a rights-cleared original image, exact source URL, attribution, and processing notes have not been verified.
The entry remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying event imagery or using generated placeholder art.
No local Packet Hack Badge image has been added because the Hackster project images and GitHub README image have not been paired with a reusable image license, attribution, and processing notes for publication.
The entry remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying Hackster or GitHub-hosted media, screenshots, or generated placeholder art.
The public firmware repository has no detected repository license, so code and repository imagery are cited as evidence but not copied or republished as local badge assets.
The catalogue can document firmware behavior while avoiding unsupported reuse claims for source or media.
Resources
The Packet Hack Badge
badge project page · First-hand Hackster project source for the Packet Hack Badge artifact, UAE skyline/mech artwork, CTF challenge, reprogramming pins, wrist wearability, authorship, and Hackster image-rights boundary.
HITBSecConf2018 Dubai archive
event page · Official event archive for dates, Grand Hyatt Dubai venue, Middle East return context, Badge Village, and special-edition electronic badge for attendees.
HITB+CyberWeek Abu Dhabi recap
event recap · HITB news source for the 2021 Abu Dhabi / DisruptAD event context, Nov. 21-25 timing, hybrid conference framing, and challenge ecosystem.
Packet Hack Village Badge firmware
firmware repository · Public GitHub source for the HITB 2021 Packet Hack Village badge firmware, AVR build/flash workflow, handle personalization, OLED/TWI code, CTF mode, and repository-license caveat.
HITB '18 Dubai news report
press article · Saudi Gazette source corroborating the Dubai event dates, Grand Hyatt venue, HITB regional return, and hands-on CommSec village programming.
HITB Dubai press coverage
press article · Regional press source for HITB2018DXB dates, Dubai location, return to the Middle East, CommSec hands-on villages, and Badge Village context.
ADNEC HITB+CyberWeek 2021 listing
venue event listing · ADNEC source for November 21-25, 2021 dates, Hall & ICC Abu Dhabi location, public-event status, hybrid physical/virtual framing, Security Exhibition, Startup Village, demos, games, competitions, and mini-workshops.
Sources
ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi: HITB+CyberWeek 2021
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Venue listing source for the public HITB+CyberWeek event, November 21-25, 2021 dates, Hall & ICC Abu Dhabi location, hybrid event framing, and hardware/software challenge context.
Eye of Riyadh: Global experts to tackle cyber security hot topics at HITB Security Conference in Dubai
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Press corroboration for the Dubai event, Grand Hyatt venue, DESC association, HITB regional return, and hands-on village programming.
GitHub: lanrat/PacketHackVillageHitBBadge2021
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary public firmware source for the Hack in the Box 2021 Packet Hack Village badge, including AVR build instructions, avrdude/Tigard flashing, handle personalization, OLED/TWI firmware, Packet Hack and HITB display loop, and CTF mode.
Hack In The Box: HITBSecConf2018 Dubai
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary source for special-edition electronic badge, Badge Village, reprogramming, secret features, mini-games, dates, venue, and Middle East return context.
Hack In The Box News: Hack In The Box + CyberWeek brought back to Abu Dhabi with DisruptAD
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · HITB source for the Abu Dhabi / DisruptAD event setting, Nov. 21-25, 2021 timing, and broader challenge environment around the Packet Hack Badge record.
Hackster.io / Abhinav SP and lanrat: The Packet Hack Badge
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary artifact source for the Packet Hack Badge, authorship, first Packet Hack Badge framing, UAE skyline/mech artwork, CTF challenge, reprogramming pins, wrist wearability, S1/S2 controls, binary-input puzzle mode, serial-code hooks, and image-source boundary.
Saudi Gazette: HITB '18 forum tackles critical industry topics
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Press corroboration for HITB2018DXB dates, Dubai location, Grand Hyatt venue, and CommSec village context.