Hacker Con Badges

Not just specs

Issues & Camp Impact

Safety warnings, delivery problems, app-store gaps, team-process history, and first-hand reports are tracked as sourced records.

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1262 matching issue record(s)
Aerospace Village DC33 ADS-B Badge warning

external antenna caveat · primary FAQ · documented

The FAQ warns external-antenna installation can disturb a tiny AC-coupling capacitor, explains the capacitor protects downstream RF parts from DC and low-frequency high-power signals, and says the external antenna must be selected in settings.

The catalogue records the optional antenna path while preserving the modification risk and RF-protection context.

Source note: AV Badge FAQ external antenna section.

DEF CON 17 Badge note

external media caveat · source-backed but rights-limited · documented

Public YouTube, Flickr, WIRED, Hackaday, Forbes, MAKE, CNET, and NetworkWorld references exist for the badge and hacks, but they are used only as pointers unless their reuse rights and exact badge-image provenance can be reconciled.

The catalogue avoids importing media from social/gallery/press surfaces while preserving source links for future review.

Source note: Grand Idea Studio documentation links and DEF CON 17 official contest-results media list.

HackerHotel 2024 Telegraph Badge note

field-report scope caveat · official docs plus secondary field report · needs schematic-level review

The Hackaday report is useful for attendee-facing behavior and lore, but detailed component claims should still be checked against the official Badge.Team hardware repositories and schematics.

The dossier can use the report for mesh gameplay and relay-interface lore while keeping low-level hardware claims anchored to primary sources.

Source note: Hackaday field report and Badge.Team HackerHotel 2024 docs.

NorthSec 2025 Badge note

field-writeup scope caveat · first-hand writeup · documented

The 2025 Conference badge and Soldering village writeups document practical reverse engineering and challenge solving from an attendee perspective, but they are not a complete official challenge archive or manufacturing release.

The catalogue uses them to enrich firmware and challenge behavior while keeping authoritative hardware-source claims tied to the official NorthSec repository.

Source note: NorthSec competition write-up index and Jean Privat's 2025 badge writeups.

BSides Brisbane 2025 Cool Badge note

final-hardware archive gap · source-backed but incomplete · needs post-event technical source

Ticketing proves a cool badge and the prospectus proves electronic badge design/build was available as a supporter item, but this pass did not recover final schematics, board files, firmware, BOM, or component-level documentation.

The record does not claim processor, display, radio, CTF, battery, or shipped electronic features beyond the public sources.

Source note: BSides Brisbane 2025 Humanitix page and 2025 sponsorship prospectus.

Security Fest 2018 Challenge Badge note

finicky Arduino-clone caveat · badge text quoted in field writeup · historical

The quoted badge text says the board is loaded with an Arduino Leonardo bootloader and can be treated as an Arduino clone, but warns that getting everything to work and fit can be finicky.

The compendium records this as a practical attendee caveat rather than an unresolved defect: the badge was intentionally open and modifiable, but not frictionless.

Source note: Zeta-Two field writeup quoting the challenge badge text.

Maritime Hacking Village DC33 Differential Destroyer note

firmware TODO caveat · primary README · work in progress

The README says the documentation and firmware were work-in-progress and lists missing or incomplete areas including SD-card FAT32 packet capture/replay files, button-controlled GUI, protocol state machines, Modbus Rx, MCP2518FD drivers, I2C/SPI pass-through, and better docs.

The record documents intended and exposed firmware surfaces without implying that every listed protocol or feature was complete during DEF CON 33.

Source note: Differential Destroyer README firmware TODO section.

AVTOKYO 2019 Cocktail Blinky Badge note

firmware absence caveat · source-backed but intentionally narrow · documented

The recovered sources describe a soldered RGB blinky badge, transparent PCB design, and coin-cell power, but do not document a programmable MCU, firmware, serial shell, repository, or CTF behavior for the AVTOKYO 2019 badge.

The dossier keeps the artifact as a beginner soldering-village blinky badge instead of inventing software behavior.

Source note: Hackster.io blinky-badge writeup and AVTOKYO 2019 event page.

DEF CON 34 Badge note

firmware and artifact archive gap · source-backed but incomplete · needs post-event archive

The public source trail currently documents SAO electrical and mechanical constraints but not badge firmware, bootloader behavior, challenge source, final PCB files, BOM, shipped role variants, or production notes.

Hardware and software fields stay limited to the official SAO spec until DEF CON publishes final badge files or credible post-event technical documentation.

Source note: DC34 SAO spec PDF and DEF CON media-server badge directory path.

AvengerCon IX Electronic Badge note

firmware and schematic gap · official badge guide with limited hardware depth · needs deeper archive recovery

The official badge page documents CTF behavior, CP2102 serial access, BAT CON battery handling, 9600-baud workflow, unlock codes, and safety instructions, but this pass did not recover firmware source, schematic files, BOM, Gerbers, challenge binaries, or a complete hardware archive.

The catalogue keeps the strong official badge-guide evidence while avoiding unsupported claims about the unrecovered design files or shipped firmware internals.

Source note: AvengerCon IX Electronic Badge guide and linked hints page.

Hackaday Berlin 2023 Voja4 Badge note

firmware archive boundary · current public source trail · needs deeper archive recovery

The recovered public sources describe the architecture and lineage, but this pass did not recover a Berlin-specific final firmware, schematic, BOM, or Gerber archive.

Software and hardware claims stay limited to Hackaday's compatibility statement, the v0j4 architecture notes, and the original Supercon badge context.

Source note: Hackaday Berlin preview, v0j4 details, and 2022 Supercon badge article.

Hackaday Europe 2025 SAO Badge note

firmware archive boundary · current public source trail · needs deeper archive recovery

The public Hackaday sources announce revamped Europe firmware but this pass did not recover a versioned final Hackaday Europe 2025 firmware release distinct from the upstream Supercon 8 repository trail.

Software claims stay limited to the announced revamped firmware, MicroPython lineage, SAO-port flashing statement, and upstream public repository workflow.

Source note: Hackaday Europe 2025 ticket preview and Hack-a-Day/2024-Supercon-8-Add-On-Badge repository.

Ekoparty 2024 Official Badge note

firmware configuration caveat · primary repository snapshot · documented

The current public Badge Link module snapshot calls the DragonJAR Badge Connect type while the Ekoparty setter is visible but commented, so the catalogue does not claim the final deployed badge-type constant without a release artifact.

The record can document Badge Connect behavior and cross-event lineage while keeping firmware-configuration claims conservative.

Source note: badge-EKOParty-2024 firmware Badge Link and Badge Connect sources.

Hackaday Supercon 2025 Communicator Badge note

firmware timing caveat · primary-source backed · documented

The reveal article said software was still being worked on while badges were being produced, with final behavior expected to settle at the event.

The record treats the repository and firmware documentation as living event artifacts rather than claiming a frozen pre-event production firmware state.

Source note: Hackaday Communicator Badge reveal and 2025 Communicator Badge firmware repository.

Hackaday Europe 2026 Communicator Badge note

firmware variant caveat · current public source trail · needs deeper archive recovery

The public sources describe Europe use, MicroPython apps, LoRa experimentation, and Meshtastic reflash framing, but this pass did not recover a distinct Lecco-specific firmware release archive.

Software claims stay tied to the public Europe articles and upstream Communicator Badge firmware repository rather than a separate Europe firmware tag.

Source note: Hackaday Europe 2026 CFP article and 2025 Communicator Badge firmware README.

DEF CON 32 Badge note

firmware-and-controversy caveat · source-backed but incomplete · needs deeper artifact inventory

Public sources document the save issue, firmware archives, GB Studio game source, and DEF CON's response to contractor-credit and firmware claims, but this pass does not adjudicate every dispute, audit every firmware build, or mirror every hardware/game asset.

The catalogue records the verified public badge surfaces and flags that the production and firmware story needs a deeper artifact-level chronology.

Source note: DEF CON news and response post, media-server badge archive, badge-game repository, Raspberry Pi RP2350 sources, and community ROM writeup.

DEF CON 30 Badge note

firmware-and-final-state caveat · source-backed but incomplete · needs deeper artifact inventory

Public sources document firmware dumping/modification, key combos, badge variants, and challenge flow, but this pass does not mirror every firmware image, media artifact, phone recording, badge variant, or post-win state.

The catalogue records verified hardware and challenge structure while leaving full artifact preservation and firmware archaeology for a later pass.

Source note: DEF CON forum thread, FaultPoint firmware extraction, Red Balloon Security OFRAK writeup, and Kybr challenge writeup.

HOPE XV Electronic Badge note

firmware-artifact caveat · source-backed but incomplete · needs deeper artifact inventory

The wiki references firmware, ESPHome, user manuals, and MicroPython workflows, but this pass does not mirror or audit every firmware image, manual PDF, pro-model component variant, or Badge Clinic artifact.

The catalogue records verified hardware and hacking surfaces while leaving complete firmware and variant preservation for a later artifact-level pass.

Source note: HOPE XV Electronic Badge wiki, HOPE schedule, and linked open-hardware repository.

Ninja Networks DC17 Party Badge note

firmware-feature caveat · source-backed but intentionally narrow · documented

The forum narrative says USB storage and radio time-synchronization features were planned and then dropped, so this record does not claim those features shipped on attendee badges.

The badge page describes the published public-domain source and visible electronic invitation hardware without upgrading abandoned goals into production behavior.

Source note: DEF CON forum thread and unsynchronized.org source-code archive.

ToorCon 14 RfCat Badge note

firmware-linkage caveat · primary source · documented

Great Scott Gadgets warns that replacement firmware must be linked properly for CC Bootloader and tells users to use RfCatDonsCCBootloader rather than the non-bootloader RfCatDons image.

The record preserves an operational caveat that matters for surviving badges and avoids presenting reflashing as a risk-free generic CC1111 workflow.

Source note: Great Scott Gadgets ToorCon 14 badge page, RfCat repository, and CC Bootloader reference.

HackGDL 2025 Minino Badge note

firmware-release scope · repository documentation · needs deeper artifact inventory

The README documents the release-binary flashing workflow and Minino development path, but this pass did not audit every firmware release artifact, app source file, release tag, or hardware production file.

Software claims stay tied to the README, release path, and Minino documentation rather than treating the repository as a fully inventoried final production archive.

Source note: ElectronicCats/badge-hackgdl-2025 README, releases page, and Minino firmware guide.

CarolinaCon 12 Electronic Kit Badge note

firmware-scope caveat · source-backed but intentionally narrow · documented

Recovered sources prove an analog 555-timer badge kit and optional Arduino-compatible expansion path, but no CarolinaCon 12 badge firmware repository, microcontroller stock firmware, CTF code, or final attendee modifications were recovered.

The entry records the verified soldering badge and hacking surface without inventing software behavior.

Source note: CarolinaCon 12 badge section and instruction manual.

THOTCON 0x8 Badge note

firmware-source caveat · source-backed but incomplete · needs deeper archive recovery

Hackaday.io links stock firmware source and an Arduino RGB demo, but this pass records the public project evidence rather than auditing, mirroring, or validating every firmware artifact and challenge branch.

The catalogue records verified hardware, game behavior, and recovery workflow while leaving full firmware preservation and challenge reconstruction for a later pass.

Source note: Hackaday.io THOTCON 0x8 project links and project logs.

NorthSec 2022 Badge note

firmware-source caveat · source-backed but incomplete · documented; monitor newly surfaced 2022 badge archives

The recovered public tree proves hardware, BOM, production, challenge-media, and SAO assets, and the official competition write-up index preserves 2022 CTF writeups, but this pass did not recover a dedicated 2022 badge firmware README, final event guide, badge-specific writeup, or complete challenge source.

The record documents verified hardware and archive surfaces while avoiding unsupported badge-game or firmware-behavior claims.

Source note: NorthSec 2022 badge hardware tree, challenge directory, and competition write-ups index.

BugCON 2022 Badge note

firmware-source caveat · repository tree and decoded sketches · needs deeper firmware inventory

The firmware tree preserves Blink_Bug, AudioWAV, Chona.wav, and an EdgeImpulse note, but this pass did not audit every sketch dependency, runtime command implementation, challenge binary, audio asset provenance, or final shipped firmware image.

Software claims stay tied to the README instructions, visible firmware tree, and decoded example sketches rather than treating the repository as a complete final production firmware archive.

Source note: ElectronicCats/Badge-BugCON-2022 firmware tree, Blink_Bug sketch, AudioWAV sketch, and Edge_impulse.txt.

LayerOne 2017 CAN Bus Badge note

firmware-source gap · project logs but incomplete source recovery · needs artifact-level archive

The project logs describe firmware tracks, CAN tooling, HID/CDC behavior, and emulator experiments, but this pass did not recover a complete public final firmware repository, board-production release, or challenge/utility software archive.

Software and protocol claims are kept to the public project statements rather than treating development notes as a complete release package.

Source note: Hackaday.io LayerOne 2017 details and logs.

SAINTCON 2022 MiniBadge Collection note

firmware-source gap · official guide but incomplete source recovery · needs badge-team archive

The guide provides assembly and acquisition documentation but this pass did not recover a central firmware repository, schematic archive, BOM archive, manufacturing files, or complete per-MiniBadge source release.

The record describes verified assembly and interaction evidence without inventing unrecovered firmware behavior or treating every MiniBadge as source-open hardware.

Source note: SAINTCON 2022 archive, MiniBadges-of-2022 assembly guide, and MiniBadge standard source trail.

WOPR Summit 0x00 Badge note

firmware-source gap · source-backed but incomplete · needs archive recovery

The public record proves staff firmware flashing after attendee assembly, but this pass did not recover a public firmware repository, binary release, pin map, bootloader workflow, or badge-challenge source archive.

The software section records the verified staff-flashing workflow without inventing firmware behavior or challenge internals.

Source note: Hackaday WOPR Summit field report and Russell Handorf WOPR 0x00 build guide.

DEF CON 26 Badge note

firmware-version caveat · source-backed but incomplete · needs deeper artifact inventory

Public sources document firmware update paths and version checks, but this pass does not mirror or audit every media-server artifact, hex file, writeup, or internal game branch.

The catalogue records the verified hardware and update workflow while leaving complete firmware archaeology for a later artifact-level pass.

Source note: DEF CON 26 archive firmware notice, Hackaday.io solving project, and DEF CON forum curated content.