Issue dossier
The published DEF CON 21 image is an optimized WebP derivative of Openfly's CC BY 2.0 Flickr photo titled populated defcon 21 badge case.
A linkable camp-impact record with badge context, severity, evidence confidence, and source notes.
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image provenance · source-backed · licensed original replacement applied
The catalogue can show a real DEF CON 21 badge-case photo while preserving the full source original and avoiding WIRED, Hackaday, or writeup photos without complete provenance.
- Badge
- DEF CON 21 Badge
- Category
- image provenance
- Severity
- note
- Confidence
- source-backed
- Status
- licensed original replacement applied
- Timeframe
- current catalogue build
- Source note
- Flickr photo-page title and CC BY 2.0 license metadata, plus badge.gallery image policy.
article
Attendee report documenting opening-ceremony badge discussion, Ryan Clarke / LostboY attribution, and puzzle interaction framing.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
article
Contemporary field report naming Ryan Clarke as badge designer and documenting the non-electronic-electronic PCB playing-card design, copper/soldermask/silkscreen artwork, XOR gate, and crypto challenge.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
article
Detailed contemporary source for role variants, PCB inner-layer continuity clues, poker-card artwork, famous-hacker face cards, Uber mechanical watch, Easter eggs, and Ryan Clarke design quotes.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
event page
Official DEF CON archive source for DEF CON 21 event context, contest results, press archive, and post-event conference material links.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
licensed photo
Flickr source for Openfly's CC BY 2.0 original photo titled populated defcon 21 badge case.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
writeup
Winning-team writeup documenting program clues, badge matrix analysis, badge symbols, binary ordering, floor graphics, and puzzle-solving flow.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
DEF CON · retrieved 2026-05-15
Official event archive source for DEF CON 21 conference context, contest archive links, press archive, and post-event material release.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
Elegin / MLF · retrieved 2026-05-15
Challenge writeup source for badge matrix interpretation, symbol sets, 3-bit binary ordering, program and floor-graphic clues, and solved puzzle flow.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
Flickr · retrieved 2026-05-15
CC BY 2.0 original photo source by Openfly identifying the object as a populated DEF CON 21 badge case; used for image provenance, not hardware specification.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
Hackaday · retrieved 2026-05-15
Contemporary source for Ryan Clarke designer attribution, non-electronic-electronic framing, PCB playing-card construction, visible copper/soldermask/silkscreen layers, XOR gate, and crypto challenge.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
Malwarebytes Labs · retrieved 2026-05-15
Attendee report source for badge-line experience, Ryan Clarke / LostboY opening-ceremony attribution, and attendee-facing puzzle framing.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge
WIRED · retrieved 2026-05-15
Contemporary source for PCB inner-layer metal clues, role badge types, over-forty design variations, poker-card/famous-hacker motifs, Uber watch construction, and Ryan Clarke quotes.
Badge: DEF CON 21 Badge