UPDATE: justcallmekoko has launched a new iteration of the Marauder (v6) for $60, which includes a sleeker look, options for external antennas, and the ability to update its firmware over Wi-Fi and/or SD card.

The original article continues below.

Penetration testers and security analysts looking for an easily-pocketable tool for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi testing purposes have another option, in the form of the ESP32 Marauder from security tester justcallmekoko.

“The Marauder is a portable penetration testing tool created for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth analysis,” the pseudonymous justcallmekoko explains. “It comes installed with a suite of offensive and defensive tools all running on an ESP32. I was inspired to create this tool by Spacehuhn’s deauther project. I wanted to bring similar functionality to the ESP32 and introduce new Bluetooth capabilities to the tool.”

“The tool itself serves as a portable device used to test and analyze Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices. Use this tool and its firmware with caution as the use of some of its capabilities without explicit consent from the target owner is unlawful in most countries.”

The firmware justcallmekoko has created is compatible with any ESP32-based development board, and designed to provide feedback via a 2.8″ ILI9341-based TFT touchscreen display. The pre-assembled versions take the firmware and install it onto a custom PCB with Espressif ESP32-WROOM chip at its heart and an integrated lithium-polymer charging circuit for power on the go.

The custom PCB is powered by an ESP32-WROOM. (: justcallmekoko)

The entire unit is then enclosed in a 3D-printed chassis, which in the case of the pre-assembled version comes in a selection of colors: black, “Galaxy Black,” neon green, and silver. Justcallmekoko warns, however, that “most of the work so far has been put into designing the hardware,” meaning that the current release has “limited firmware capabilities” — but that development is ongoing to add new features and functionality.

More details on the project can be found on GitHub, where the firmware, hardware, and 3D print files can be downloaded; the pre-assembled ESP32 Marauder, meanwhile, can be purchased from Tindie. source

source

How to Install Node-Red to Home Assistant – Using Node-Red for Complex Home Automations

Node-RED is a flow-based, low-code development tool for visual programming, originally developed by IBM for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services as part of the Internet of things. Node-RED provides a web browser-based flow editor, which can be used to create JavaScript functions.

This guide will show you how to install Node-Red to Home Assistant and take you through a basic flow.

Node-Red is a low-code development tool for building simple to complex automation flows. The software runs within a web browser and works great within Home Assistant. The software is relatively easy to learn and allows easy viewing of complex logic flows.

Using Node-Red gives you an excellent visual overview of automation flows, making it much easier to understand, edit, and create. You can build flows that control automatic gates, lights, water pumps, and more.

If you haven’t already, we reco

This tutorial will explain how to install Node-Red to Home Assistant. We also go through the basics of setting up an automation flow. Both of these topics give you a decent insight into how you can get the most out of the software.

Installing Node-Red

Node-RED: Low-code programming for event-driven applications

The installation of Node Red is very straightforward, but there are a few requirements for a smooth installation process.

To install Node-Red within Home Assistant, you must run a version that supports add-ons such as supervised or the operating system. Alternatively, you can set up Node-Red as a separate docker and connect it to Home Assistant.

1. Within the Home Assistant web interface, click on the settings tab and then click on add-ons.

2. Click on add-store in the bottom right corner of the screen.

3. Using the search box, search for Node Red. Alternatively, you can scroll through the page until you find the Node-Red add-on.

4. The page you should now see will contain all the details about the add-on. You can check through all the details if you want to know what you are about to install. Once you are ready to install, click Install.

5. Now, navigate to the configuration tab. In this tab, locate the credential_secret field and enter a strong password. Make sure you save this password, as you may need it in the future. I use 1Password for storing passwords, but other software such as Bitwarden or Nordpass (Affiliate Link) would also be solid choices.

You will also need to disable SSL if it is not enabled on your Home Assistant installation. To disable SSL, click the SSL button so it is greyed out. If you leave it on and Home Assistant does not support SSL, Node-Red will fail to start.

Once you are done, click on save.

6. After you have saved the credential secret and disabled SSL, return to the info tab. On this page, click on “Start“. Node-Red should start without issue. If it is not starting, navigate to the log tab and look through the logs for errors.

7. If you click on Node-Red in the sidebar or “Open Web UI” on the add-on page, it will take you to the Node-Red application. You can now start writing your flows to automate your Home Assistant setup.

Creating your First Node-Red Flow

Node-Red can be a little daunting at first, but once you understand the basics, it is a powerful tool that allows you to handle complex and simple automations.

In this short tutorial, we will go through the basics of creating a flow that uses a Home Assistant node.

The following steps will take you through how to send a notification whenever the temperature of our weather station exceeds 15°C.

1. The first node we will use is the “Events: State” node. Drag this node onto the grid

Next, double-click on the node to open the options available. Fill in each of the relevant properties. Below is what I filled in.

• Name: Check Temperature
• Server: Home Assistant
• Entity: Outdoor Temperature
• If State: >= 15 (Greater or equal to 15)
• For: 1 Minute
• State type: Number

I also do not have any checkboxes ticked for “Ignore State Change Event When“.

2. Next, drag and drop a debug node. These nodes will output data that can help diagnose and fix issues with your flows.

On each node, there are dots. These dots represent different functions. For example, our Check Temperature node has two dots. One is for when our logic is false, and the other for when it is true.

We click and drag our true node and connect it to the debug node.

The flow will run when you click deploy in the top right-hand corner.

In this example, if the temperature exceeds 15°C, the debug node will output after 1 minute. If it is not higher than 15°C, nothing will output.

3. Next, we will want to notify our users that the temperature is too high. To do this, drag a “Call Service” node onto the grid. Connect the true output to the input on the “Call Service” Node.

Now, double-click on the call service node to edit it. Fill in each of the relevant properties. Below is what I filled in.

• Name: Enter the name that you want the node to be referred to.
• Server: You shouldn’t need to update this as it should be Home Assistant.
• Domain: You will need to set this to notify.
• Service: Choose a device that you wish to notify. Choosing the notify option will notify all possible users.
• Data: This is where you need to specify the notification details. At the bottom of the properties is an example. Clicking “Load Example Data” will pre-populate the data field, which you can easily edit.

Below is an example of my entry into the data field.

{
   "message":"Temperature is too High!",
   "title":"The temperature is higher than 15°C."	
}Copy

4. To avoid too many notifications, you may want to place a delay node. This node will allow a single notification to be sent for a specified time. To do this, drag and drop a delay node in between our check temperature and notify gus nodes.

Double-click on the delay node and update the settings to the following.

• Action: Rate Limit and All Messages.
• Rate: 1 msg(s) per 15 minutes.
• Change Queue Intermediate Messages to Drop Intermediate Messages
• Name: Rate Limit

These properties will allow a single message every fifteen minutes. Any messages that try to be sent in the meantime will be dropped.

5. You should now have a basic flow that will notify users whenever the temperature goes above 15°C for over a minute. Feel free to change and alter this flow for other purposes.

You can remove the debug node if you are finished debugging. Alternatively, you can click the green square next to the node to deactivate it.

Conclusion

I hope you now have Node-Red installed and configured on your Home Assistant installation. Our basic flow introduced some basics of using the software to run automations. Once you understand the basics, you can create some cool automations using the data from some of the sensors and devices in your home.

We are constantly working on more Home Assistant tutorials, so if there is anything that you would like to see, please let us know. I recommend checking out some of the other tutorials for great ideas on what you can do with this amazing software.

If you encounter any problems or have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment down below. source

Node-RED, the visual programming tool for Internet of Things

 

From the beginning of programming, one of the industry’s main challenges has been to facilitate the applications development to simplify the integration between the hardware devices, the software and us, the humans. Thanks to Node-RED we are much closer of this goal. Programming, without programming.

What is Node-RED and what is it for?

Node-RED is an open-source development tool based on visual programming that was created by IBM to connect hardware devices, APIs and online services.

Node-RED is a solid tool, easy to learn, and it does not require any programming knowledge. It has been consolidated as one of the main applications for real-time data management and transformation for IoT and Industry 4.0 solutions.

Node-RED allows to graphically connect predefined blocks, called nodes, to develop a concrete task. The nodes connection, usually a combination of input nodes, processing nodes and output nodes, when wired together, make up a flow.

Among all the available nodes we can find standard protocols as MQTT, REST, Modbus, OPC-UA, Bacnet, Websocket; and third party API integrations as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Twitter, Facebook and many more.

 

 

Where can I install Node-RED?

Node-RED is built on Node.js, taking full advantage of its power and assuring scalability, liability and low hardware requirements. These features allow to run Node-RED in personal computers, cloud servers and low-cost embedded hardware.

If you want to take your first steps in Node-RED you just need to click here to access to all the documentation. Follow step by step how to install the tool on your computer, your cloud services regular provider or your embedded device eManager.

 

Nodes library

The nature of the tool, being open source, and the facility to develop new nodes, come together into a nodes library which grows each day with new community contributions.

Nowadays we can find more than 2500 available nodes in the Node-RED official library, including Smart Home integrations, converters between IoT protocols, geolocation functions, OAuth2 authentication and many more.

 

Hello world in Node-RED

To conclude this article there is no better way than taking your first steps on Node-RED generating the classic Hello world. Below, we show step by step the process to achieve it:

Message creation with Inject node

1. If you are running Node-RED on your computer, you can access http://127.0.0.1:1880 or whatever address or hostname you’re using
2. If it is our first time in Node-RED, we will see a flow named Flow 1
3. On the node palette on the left side of the Node-RED, we will select the Inject node and will drag it onto our flow
4. In order to edit the node we will double click on it. After that, we will select string on the Payload field and we will write Hello world!
5. Once we finish the previous steps, we click Done

Printing our message

1. In order to add a destination for our message we will select the Debug node. We will click and drag it onto our flow. It’s very important to place it on the right-hand side of the Inject node
2. To connect both nodes we just need to click the Inject node’s output and drag it to the Debug node’s input. A wire that links both nodes will be created
3. Debug node will automatically print the message to the console window as we will see in the next step

Deployment

1. In order to start our application you must click on Deploy button
2. Now click the Debug tab in the right-hand side of the editor window
3. Finally, to launch our message you will click on the blue button coming out from the left-hand side of the Inject node
4. “Hello world” will appear on the Debug screen. Welcome to Node-RED!

 

As PickData, we firmly believe in solutions like Node-RED, because those allow you to focus on what really matters, bring our added value to the solutions and skip losing time between ins and outs of the usual programming. source

 

Node-RED has replaced my complex Home Assistant automations, and it does them so much better

The self-hosting ecosystem is rife with cool and quirky apps designed to automate every facet of your life. There’s the holy Terraform and Ansible combo for home lab enthusiasts who love watching VMs come to life without pressing a single button, while n8n can handle all software-based automations. On the smart home side, you’ll often find Home Assistant as the most recommended utility for creating schematics to control your IoT gadgets. And well, HASS can serve you well with its trigger-action workflows.

For YAML experts, you can even design long scripts to automate your smart home. But once you get into complicated workflows involving multiple sensors, actuators, and if-else statements, HASS starts to become rather unintuitive. While I still rely on Home Assistant for quick automations, Node-RED is my preferred platform for creating extended automation workflows spanning several smart devices in my living space.

There’s nothing you can’t pull off with Home Assistant blueprints

It pairs well with my Home Assistant devices

But HASS isn’t the only data server for my Node-RED instance

I consider Home Assistant the centerpiece of my rat’s nest of an apartment and have mapped most smart devices, IoT gadgets, and even home lab equipment (via HACS integrations) to my HASS hub. As such, it acts as a data-gathering terminal in addition to its role as a control center.

Since my Node-RED instance is connected to my HASS server, it can directly grab statistics from my devices and push any message payloads I define in my custom workflows. I use a standalone Node-RED container instead of running it on top of Home Assistant, so I don’t have to rely on just HASS for my smart home automation.

On that subject, I’ve already connected my Node-RED server to a Raspberry Pi-based MQTT broker, so I can automate MQTT communication with just these services. Heck, it even integrates with external APIs and webhooks, making it perfect for the times when I want to use the VMs and containers from my Proxmox server for my home automation projects.

Amazing for automation chains

The node-based workflow makes everything easier

Upon first glance, a Node-RED canvas filled to the brim with node chains, functions, and variables can seem intimidating. However, the ability to represent every device as a node makes it easy to organize everything, and I can import multiple IoT products inside a single workflow.

On Home Assistant, I’d have to cycle between the Entities, Helpers, Scripts, and Events tabs every time I want to create a multi-device automation chain. Besides the added advantage of accessing my smart devices from a single page, Node-RED lets me reuse the function nodes as many times as I want, which is a godsend for projects requiring complex if-else logic with branching instructions.

No more YAML shenanigans

Although YAML syntax is nowhere near as complex as a mainstream programming language’s coding rules, it’s a pain to design complicated workflows with it. Home Assistant makes YAML scripting somewhat easy with the Developer Tools tab, but it’s far from the most intuitive option, especially since I can just use Node-RED.

That’s because Node-RED has a minimal coding approach, as even the most complicated automation can be arranged in a node-based workflow. This visual aspect makes it easier to add nested logic, chains of loops, and long branches in a Node-RED canvas. As if that’s not enough, I can install custom modules and libraries for most communication protocols and external APIs in Node-RED.

Solid troubleshooting provisions

Finally, Node-RED makes finding errors in my workflow a cinch. It’s a lot easier to detect errors in a Node-RED-based flow than a huge YAML file, where I can have several indentation errors because of accidentally pressing the Spacebar or Enter keys. In contrast, my mistakes are infinitely easier to catch on Node-RED’s canvas, as I can see how the different gadgets affect each other.

That said, HASS is better for simple automation projects

So far, I’ve only discussed why Node-RED suits my smart home projects. But I’d be biased if I didn’t talk about its drawbacks. Despite providing easier methods for automating complex projects, Node-RED has a steeper learning curve than Home Assistant. Plus, community-created blueprints are a neat utility in Home Assistant for casual users who want to quick put together motion-controlled lights.

However, if you’re looking to build something as convoluted as a surveillance system that automatically turns on the lights and sets the right thermostat temperature when it detects your presence, it’s a good idea to go with Node-RED as your automation platform. source

Home Assistant with Node-Red

/root/config/custom_components/nodered/__init__.py
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/__pycache__
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/binary_sensor.py
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/config_flow.py
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/const.py
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/discovery.py
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/manifest.json
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/save.txt
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/sensor.py
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/services.yaml
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/switch.py
/root/config/custom_components/nodered/websocket.py

/root/config/custom_components/nodered/.translations/en.json

BLEShark Nano: A Compact Wireless Multi-Tool for Hackers

InfiShark’s BLEShark Nano Is a Pocket-Friendly Espressif ESP32-Powered Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Tool

Built around a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3, this tiny tool delivers powerful potential — but in a proprietary firmware.

A portable device for testing Bluetooth. Wi-Fi, and Infrared vulnerabilities—including games, apps, auto updates, and a buttery-smooth interface.

The multi-functional Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Wi-Fi security-testing and debugging tool is priced at at $35, at claimed 10 percent discount over the eventual retail price — with discounts rising if you need more than one unit, maxing out at 20 per cent for “early bird” backers of a five-pack.

The campaign is now live on Kickstarter, with all hardware expected to ship in March or April 2025.

Original article continues below.

Ontario-based InfiShark Tech is preparing to launch a crowdfunding campaign for the BLEShark Nano, an Espressif ESP32-powered tool designed for testing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi systems for vulnerabilities.

“The BLEShark Nano is a pocket-sized [Espressif] ESP32 based device that brings a massive amount of pentesting features, apps, and games into a very compact device,” the company writes of its creation. “In a sense, it is the Swiss Army knife of wireless tools. The BLEShark Nano packs a surprising array of features designed for network testing and experimentation, making it an accessible and effective tool for those interested in cybersecurity!”

InfiShark’s BLEShark Nano is an upcoming Seeed XIAO ESP32C3-based pentesting tool for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. (: InfiShark Tech)

The Swiss Army Knife of Hacking Tools.

The compact gadget, housed in a 3D-printed case, features a 0.66″ OLED display below which three tactile buttons act as the user interface. Inside the housing is a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 microcontroller board and a 500mAh battery — good, the company claims, for an average of 10 hours of active use between charges.

In use, the firmware delivers a range of tools designed for penetration testing of wireless networks: BLE Beacon spamming, Wi-Fi access point spamming, captive portal creation, and Bad-BT keystroke injection — plus a selection of reimplementations of classic arcade games like Space Invaders and Pong, for downtime. The gadget can also be used as a Bluetooth remote, with plans to launch additional features including infrared support.

InfiShark is planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign for the gadget at the end of this month, with interested parties invited to sign up on Kickstarter to be notified when it goes live. Additional details are available on Hackaday.io and the company website, though while the company maintains a GitHub repository with STL files for the case it says the firmware is “proprietary and closed-source.” source

---

BLEShark Nano: Your Ultimate Wireless Testing Companion

The BLEShark Nano combines cutting-edge technology with an intuitive interface, offering full control over wireless network interactions. Whether you’re securing your network or developing custom apps and games, this tool provides the flexibility and power you need.

Now, let’s get into the features and functions in more detail!

 What is it?

The BLEShark Nano is an all-in-one sleek & compact multi-tool for hackers, tech enthusiasts, and cybersecurity beginners. With features like Wi-Fi, BLE, and IR pentesting tools, getting into cybersecurity has never been easier to access with the BLEShark Nano.

The BLEShark Nano is a powerful, ESP-32-based tool for attacks like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) spamming, Wi-Fi spamming, deauthentication attacks, a wide range of network testing functions, and even various wireless apps. With its sleek OLED interface, exploring and testing vulnerabilities in BLE and Wi-Fi networks has never been more intuitive or accessible. A 500mah battery keeps it on for 4+ hours while spamming. The durable case is 3D printed with PLA-CF, closed up tightly with M3x12 screws and brass inserts.

 Why did we make it?

We built the BLEShark Nano to empower security researchers and hobbyists with a compact, cheap, unique and versatile tool for assessing vulnerabilities in BLE and Wi-Fi bands. It’s an all-in-one platform designed to educate and inspire, offering a hands-on approach to wireless security without the need for multiple, specialized tools.

 What makes it special?

What sets the BLEShark Nano apart is its ability to automatically download and run custom firmware that unlocks a suite of:

• BLE spoofing (and spamming),
• Wi-Fi beacon spamming,
• Captive portals,
• Wi-Fi deauth attacks,
• Games,
• BadBT,
• Apps (like a TikTok scroller),
• Automatic Updates,
• And much more.
• Upcoming Features include:
• Handshake Capturing,
• BadUSB,
• Evil Portal Cred Detector,
• And MUCH more.

Whether you’re conducting professional network assessments or diving into wireless security as a hobby, the BLEShark Nano offers an unparalleled combination of power, ease-of-use, and flexibility.

• Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it’s designed for portability and ease of use, no matter where you are. The BLEShark Nano offers all the power of high-end wireless testing gear in a sleek, easy-to-carry form.
• No extra hardware or accessories needed: The BLEShark Nano is a fully self-sufficient device, unlike many other tools that require additional setups or builds to work effectively.
• 500mAh Rechargeable Battery: A massive internal battery provides up to 16 hours of continuous operation with BLE, and up to 6 hours of continuous operation with Wi-Fi on a full charge. On average, you can expect 10 hours of use per charge.

Using Bluetooth Low Energy, you can broadcast connection requests to many devices – great for testing your device’s Bluetooth capabilities. Select specific targets like Android, Windows, iOS, or Samsung devices. In addition, you can use this feature across all platforms simultaneously.

This feature works by broadcasting BLE advertisement packets, which trigger popups or notifications on various devices like Android, iOS, Windows, and Samsung. This is achieved by sending out specially crafted packets that mimic legitimate Bluetooth service requests or notifications, thus creating popups on the targeted devices with pairing prompts or similar connection requests.

With the BLEShark Nano, you can create and broadcast hundreds of custom Wi-Fi network names (SSIDs) for legitimate testing and educational activities. Whether you’re testing network resilience, conducting penetration testing, or performing network traffic management simulations, the BLEShark Nano empowers you to generate Wi-Fi networks in a controlled environment. Create networks with randomly generated SSIDs, rickrolls, funny names, duplicate SSIDs, and custom creations.

This feature is particularly useful for security professionals and network administrators who want to see how their infrastructure handles a large number of SSID broadcasts, test how devices react to duplicate or misleading network names, or to simulate a public environment.

Any Bluetooth-enabled device completely trusts any Bluetooth-connected input devices like keyboards and mice. The BLEShark Nano can emulate a Bluetooth HID device, allowing it to be recognized by the target system as a normal Bluetooth keyboard. You can write your own payloads to send any key sequence over Bluetooth, enabling control over the target device, just like the USB Rubber Ducky—but wirelessly. This can be used for testing Bluetooth input vulnerabilities or automating actions on target devices.

This feature allows you to write and upload custom scripts that are then executed over a Bluetooth connection. This enables the BLEShark Nano to send precise and pre-programmed keystroke sequences to any paired device. You can deploy attacks like opening terminal windows, launching programs, or even typing commands—all without needing physical access to the target.

This is a great tool for vulnerability testing, penetration tests, or simply automating common actions on paired devices.

The BLEShark Nano takes network control and testing to the next level with its powerful captive portal feature. A captive portal is a webpage that users must interact with before gaining access to a network. You’ve probably encountered these on public Wi-Fi networks that require you to log in, accept terms of service, or enter a password. The BLEShark Nano allows you to create your own customized captive portal that you can deploy instantly across any Wi-Fi network you set up.

This feature works by creating a Wi-Fi access point (AP) that any device can connect to, but instead of granting full internet access, it redirects users to a web page that you control. Whether you want to conduct security assessments or just show off your creative custom pages, the captive portal offers endless possibilities for network testing. Once users connect to your network, they are automatically directed to your captive portal without needing to type anything into the browser.

You might be thinking, what are some use cases of this (without actual internet)?

• Interactive Games:
  Embed small games or quizzes to keep users engaged, even when they’re not accessing the web.
• Informational Pages:
  Set up informational splash pages to share important content with users who connect to your Wi-Fi network.
• Wi-Fi Terms and Conditions:
  Create a terms and conditions page that must be accepted before connecting to the internet. This is a common feature of public Wi-Fi networks, which can demonstrate how users often accept such agreements without reading the fine print.

Unlike many existing tools, the BLEShark Nano offers a fully standalone captive portal feature. There’s no need for additional hardware, complex setups, or relying on external networks. Simply power it on, set up your portal, and start testing or demonstrating its capabilities in seconds.

The BLEShark Nano also doubles as a mini entertainment hub! Whether you’re waiting for a process to finish or just looking for a bit of fun, these built-in games will keep you entertained wherever you are.

Play timeless arcade hits, including:

• Flappy Bird: Test your reflexes and skill by guiding the bird through endless obstacles. Simple to play, hard to master!
• Invaders: Take command of your spaceship and defend Earth from waves of aliens in this legendary shoot ’em up.
• Pong: Experience the game that started it all—bounce the ball back and forth in this iconic two-player challenge, available for solo play against AI or multiplayer fun.
• Breakout: Smash your way through walls of bricks with a bouncing ball in this addictive classic.
• T-rex game: It’s the classic “no internet” game! Jump over the cacti in the desert!

The BLEShark Nano is packed with many convenient apps to simplify tasks and keep you entertained. These built-in tools are designed for both practical use and a bit of fun. Let’s get into them!

TxtViewer:
Easily view and navigate through custom text files, perfect for notes, presentations, or documentation. With smooth scrolling, seamless word wrapping, and an intuitive built-in scroll bar, you can browse long documents effortlessly – even on the tiny display. (Yep, you can use this for exams )

Video Scroller:
Connect effortlessly to your phone and unlock a suite of functions with the press of a button. Control every aspect of your watching experience – just pair with the BLEShark Nano first!

Mini Programmable Keypad:
Take control with a customizable keypad that fits in the palm of your hand. Using BLE, assign up to 8 shortcuts, to streamline your workflow or gaming. Whether for productivity or fun, it offers quick access to your favorite commands.

For more information about this app, visit here.

Timers:
Set timers with ease, with options ranging from 1 second to 99 minutes. Perfect for quick tasks, workouts, studying, or reminders. Just a few taps and you’re ready to go, all managed from the BLEShark Nano.

Stopwatch:
Transform your device into a sleek, easy-to-use stopwatch. With just a tap, you can start, stop, and reset the stopwatch with absolute precision.

Stay effortlessly updated with automatic updates, ensuring you never miss out on exciting new features. Each update introduces a variety of enhancements, and we’re dedicated to continuously expanding our offerings. Your BLEShark Nano will only improve over time, making it an even more powerful tool!

The BLEShark Nano offers an extensive range of customization options through the Extra Settings Mode, giving you full control over the device’s behavior and features. It creates its own captive portal, allowing you to connect and manage all settings directly from your browser on any connected device. The sleek and intuitive user interface ensures simple customization, with transitions and an optional extra dark mode for easy navigation.

Emergency Mode: 
Sometimes, you may have to get away from an app quickly, and that’s where the Emergency Mode of the BLEShark Nano comes into play. By holding the left and right buttons together for half a second, you can instantly launch Flappy Bird, no matter where you are in the device. It might sound a bit unconventional, but when the situation calls for it, a quick switch to a harmless game could be just what you need.

SPIFFS System:
The SPIFFS (Serial Peripheral Interface Flash File System) integration in the BLEShark Nano ensures that every little configuration and setting you make on the device is securely stored, so you never lose your work. This powerful embedded file system is used to save your custom settings, Wi-Fi SSIDs, BLE spam configurations, captive portal credentials, captive portal HTML code, TxtViewer files, Ducky Scripts, and much more, directly onto the device’s onboard memory.

With SPIFFS, even if the BLEShark Nano is powered off, reset, or updated, all your configurations remain safe, providing seamless continuity for your work. No need to constantly re-enter or reconfigure your preferred settings—your personalized setup is always ready to go!

More Games:
We will add some more classics like a high-speed racing/drifting game, a platformer, and more!

BadUSB:
Instead of using Bluetooth, you can transform the device into a USB device, allowing you to execute powerful scripts quickly and efficiently.

PC Monitor: 
Using BLE, you can connect your BLEShark Nano to your PC to monitor real-time performance metrics, including CPU, GPU, and memory usage, all at a glance!

Custom Apps: 
Build and run your own custom apps directly on the device, tailored to your imagination. Want to share your creation? Submit it to us, and your app could become part of the official firmware for the entire BLEShark Nano community to enjoy!

If you’re excited to discover even more features we’re planning to add, check out our GitHub for the latest updates and future developments!

• It’s Extremely Affordable: Similar tools can cost hundreds of dollars or require custom builds – the BLEShark Nano is priced with accessibility in mind.
• It Has an Easy Setup: No coding or technical expertise required to get started. Charge it up (if not shipped pre-charged), complete the easy setup (for OTA updates), and you’re ready to go!
• It’s Built for the Future: As technology evolves, so will your BLEShark Nano. We are committed to continually releasing firmware updates with new features and improvements!
• Unique Features: Unlike other tools, the BLEShark Nano includes built-in apps and games, adding functionality and entertainment that competitors lack.

On top of this, we will also:

Create Better Packaging: We’ll design premium packaging that not only protects your BLEShark Nano but also elevates your unboxing experience. The new packaging will feature an amazing design with eco-friendly materials and organized compartments for each accessory.

($7,500) Infrared Control Capability

Hitting this goal unlocks an all-new infrared transceiver, allowing BLEShark Nano to control a wide range of electronics like TVs, air conditioners, LED lights, and stereo systems. We’ll also include a preset library for easy setup, adding powerful new functionality not available in the original version.

($10,000) Expanded Color Choices

At this level, we’ll introduce more color options, including a transparent case and a crisp, modern white. These additional colors let you personalize your BLEShark Nano to your style.

($12,500) Custom Silicone Protection

When we reach our final goal, we’ll introduce a durable, soft silicone case custom-fitted for the BLEShark Nano. Choose from a range of colors to add a unique, protective touch to your device. As a token of our appreciation, every backer will receive 30% off the silicone bumper!

To craft the best BLEShark Nano possible, we had to create a lot of prototypes. Each of these prototypes helped shape the final product. Here are some of the prototypes we’ve built:

We’re excited to continue pushing boundaries with each new update, ensuring the BLEShark Nano grows with you. And with its blend of cutting-edge features, ease of use, and affordability, it’s more than just a tool—it’s a gateway to innovation.

So whether you’re testing Bluetooth vulnerabilities, creating custom Wi-Fi networks, or just passing the time with some games, the BLEShark Nano has you covered.

Note: USB-C cable not included with shipment. Another note: This is a prototype of the final product, some hardware features may vary. source

Check out our github repo for more information INCLUDING source code: https://github.com/grdashark/BLEShark

GET YOUR HERE

Access ANY Network (remotely) What is a Hacker Dropbox?

What is a Hacker Dropbox? (and why you need one….even if you aren’t a hacker)

Build your Hacker Dropbox with Twingate (it’s free): https://ntck.co/twingate_ztna
Raspberry Pi Imager: https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
Buy a Raspberry Pi: Raspberry Pi 4: amazon.com
Raspberry Pi 5: amazon.com

• Here is a great definition from ChatGPT: a small, discreet, and often portable device designed to be covertly placed in a target network to provide remote access for a hacker or penetration tester. It typically contains hardware and software configured to exploit the network or collect sensitive information.
• If you’re a hacker…this is a no brainer. Get instant access to a remote network by dropping off a device. But….if you’re not a hacker…why do you need this?

Family HelpDesk Support

• If you’re like me, you are likely the official technical support for your family and friends. I also inherited the role of helpdesk support for my church…these kinds of things just happen by default when you are in tech and people find out about your technical skills.
• This isn’t an easy thing to do, especially when it comes to troubleshooting networks for your family. Is the network up? Why is it slow? Sometimes a FaceTime call just isn’t going to cut it.
• If I’m going to be the support for my church and family, I’m going to take my role seriously. I need FULL control of the remote network……no more playing around!!!
• With the Hacker Dropbox, I can drop off a small device, in my case it’s going to be a Raspberry Pi 4. (it can be a lot of things, as long as the device is Linux-based and is 64-bit). Instantly I get access to this remote network, enabling me to provide remote support and access any device.

This is NOT VPN

• This is not a VPN (VIrtual Private Network) solution….it’s much better.
• This is a ZTNA (Zero-Trust Network Access) solution. It’s called Twingate and I’ve been using them for a long time in my business and personal networks. I talk more about them in the video above but in short, they allow you to get and give remote access to networks in the most secure way. They are used by everyone from large enterprises to homelabbers looking to access their Plex server.
• This isn’t the first video I’ve made about them but this is the first time I’ve featured a use-case like this.
• Oh, it’s also FREE for home labbers. (And…cough….businesses that don’t have a ton of employees….like me.)

You don’t need to know ANYTHING about the network

• I wanted this to be a turnkey solution even if you don’t know anything about the remote network. All you’ll have to do is plug in an ethernet cable (or connect to wifi….but you’ll need to know the SSID and password) and you will know everything you need to know about that network…..but how?
• Twingate has a powerful API that allows us to do many things…including write python scripts that will automagically tell us the private IP address of our Hacker Dropbox (Raspberry Pi) and the Public IP address of the network, giving us instant access to this Hacker Dropbox AND the network.
• This guide will contain that script.

What do you need?

• Any Linux-based 64-bit system will do. You’ll need at least 1 CPU and 2GB RAM (recommended)…but you can go as low as 512MB of RAM.
• You can also run this as a Docker container, which is my favorite way to deploy this in my home lab.
• In this example, with the Hacker Dropbox, I’m using a Raspberry Pi 4 running Raspberry Pi OS Lite – 64-bit and installing it directly on the system (no docker container)

What other hardware options do I have?

Again, this can be many things, but here are some ideas to get the juices flowing:

• ZImaboard
• Raspberry Pi 4/5
• Raspberry Pi 400/500
• Old laptops
• NAS
• Intel NUC or other mini-pcs

The Tutorial

Step 1 – Setup Twingate

This setup is VERY easy and is all done in the cloud.

• Sign up for Twingate here: https://ntck.co/twingate_ztna
  • You’ll create a new Twingate network

!

Step 2 – Add your first remote network

You will be prompted to go through a wizard, we can skip that for now.

• Click on Remote Networks

!

• And then add a Remote Network

!

• Choose on-premise for location

!

• Once created, we’ll click on the remote network link to jump in and add more config…like adding a connector.

!

Step 2.5 – Prep your Hacker Dropbox

• This will vary based on what device you choose but this will normally involve installing a compatible OS (64-bit Linux OS) and getting access to your device via CLI.
• I demo flashing an SD-card for the Raspberry Pi 4 in the video.

Step 3 – Adding a connector for your remote network

The connector, in our case, will be the Hacker Dropbox, a linux-based device running Twingate software, aka, The Connector

• Click on Deploy Connector

!

• Good practice, run sudo apt update to make sure all your repos are up-to-date (this will different for you if you are running something that isn’t Debian-based)
• For the Raspberry Pi example, we are installing the Twingate connector directly on the OS, no container. So we’ll select Linux as our option.

!

• Now, generate your access tokens. These will automatically be added the command we’ll use to install Twingate here in a moment.

!

• Copy the provided command

!

• Paste that command in your terminal and watch the magic happen.

!

!

• We are actually….done. Check Twingate to see if your connector is up.

!

Step 4 – Add a remote WiFi Network (if not using ethernet)

• This will be Raspberry Pi specific.
• Run this command to access the NetworkManager TUI

sudo nmtui

• Edit a connection

!

• Select Add

!

• Select WiFi

!

• Add SSID and Password (you’ll need to know this for the remote network)

!

• Select Ok and then hit ESC to save and get out of there.

Step 5 – Use the Twingate API to learn about the remote network

You only need this option if this is a network you are unfamiliar with. So, for example, you might be offering remote support for your family and you will likely already know their network, 192.168.1.0/24 (for example) and you may have set the static IP address of your Hacker Dropbox and can easily, manually add this as a resource in Twingate.

• Generate an API token

!

• Our script will be provisioning resources so we’ll need to give it a good amount of access.

!

• Copy that key and put it somewhere safe.

!

Run the Python Script

• You’ll need another computer, can be anything that can run Python. (which…can be anything, Windows, Mac, Linux.)
• You’ll also need Python3 installed, refer to your OS-specific documentation to install Python.

Create the script

• Create a new python script

nano twingate.py

• paste the following script
• Replace the following variables:
  • API_URL
  • API_KEY
  • TARGET_NETWORK_NAME

from gql import gql, Client
from gql.transport.requests import RequestsHTTPTransport

# Twingate API settings
API_URL = "https://****your Twingate network here****.twingate.com/api/graphql/"  # Replace <subdomain> with your Twingate subdomain
API_KEY = "YOUR TWINGATE API KEY"
TARGET_NETWORK_NAME = "YOUR REMOTE NETWORK"  # Replace with your target network name

QUERY_REMOTE_NETWORKS = gql("""
query GetRemoteNetworkDetails {
  remoteNetworks(after: null, first: 10) {
    edges {
      node {
        id
        name
        connectors {
          edges {
            node {
              id
              name
              publicIP
              privateIPs
              remoteNetwork {
                id
                name
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
""")

MUTATION_CREATE_RESOURCE = gql("""
mutation CreateResource($name: String!, $address: String!, $remoteNetworkId: ID!) {
  resourceCreate(
    name: $name,
    address: $address,
    remoteNetworkId: $remoteNetworkId
  ) {
    ok
    error
    entity {
      id
      name
      address {
        type
        value
      }
    }
  }
}
""")

def setup_client():
    transport = RequestsHTTPTransport(
        url=API_URL,
        headers={"X-API-KEY": API_KEY},
        use_json=True,
    )
    return Client(transport=transport, fetch_schema_from_transport=True)

def get_target_network(client):
    response = client.execute(QUERY_REMOTE_NETWORKS)
    for edge in response["remoteNetworks"]["edges"]:
        network = edge["node"]
        if network["name"] == TARGET_NETWORK_NAME:
            return network
    return None

def create_resource(client, name, address_value, remote_network_id):
    params = {
        "name": name,
        "address": address_value,
        "remoteNetworkId": remote_network_id
    }
    response = client.execute(MUTATION_CREATE_RESOURCE, variable_values=params)
    if not response["resourceCreate"]["ok"]:
        raise Exception(f"Failed to create resource: {response['resourceCreate']['error']}")
    return response["resourceCreate"]["entity"]

def automate_resource_creation():
    client = setup_client()

    print(f"Searching for target network: {TARGET_NETWORK_NAME}...")
    target_network = get_target_network(client)

    if not target_network:
        print(f"Network '{TARGET_NETWORK_NAME}' not found.")
        return

    print(f"Found network: {target_network['name']}")
    remote_network_id = target_network['id']

    for connector_edge in target_network["connectors"]["edges"]:
        connector = connector_edge["node"]
        public_ip = connector.get("publicIP")
        private_ips = connector.get("privateIPs", [])

        if public_ip:
            resource_name = f"Resource-Public-{public_ip.replace('.', '-')}"
            print(f"Creating Resource for public IP: {public_ip}...")
            resource = create_resource(client, resource_name, public_ip, remote_network_id)
            print(f"Resource created: {resource['name']} (ID: {resource['id']}, Address: {resource['address']['value']})")

        for private_ip in private_ips:
            resource_name = f"Resource-Private-{private_ip.replace('.', '-')}"
            print(f"Creating Resource for private IP: {private_ip}...")
            resource = create_resource(client, resource_name, private_ip, remote_network_id)
            print(f"Resource created: {resource['name']} (ID: {resource['id']}, Address: {resource['address']['value']})")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        automate_resource_creation()
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

• Save the file.

Now, we’ll create a python virtual environment

• This will make sure we can install packages and prerequisites without hurting your other projects. (if you have some….if you don’t…that’s okay….it’s just good practice)
• First make sure you have it installed. See below for Linux.

sudo apt install python3-venv -y

• Also make sure you install PIP

sudo apt install python3-pip

• Now create a Python virtual environment and activate it.

python3 -m venv twingatesomething

source twingatesomething/bin/activate

• Install the pre-reqs

pip install gql requests requests.toolbelt

• Type to run the script

python3 twingate.py

• Check your resources in Twingate…you should see something cool

!

shopping

you’ll need an RTL-SDR unit. i recommend the dipole antenna kit as well, so you don’t need to make any additional purchases. if you’re a radio enthusiast already, you might have a better antenna available, but if you’re like me you do not and it’s worth the US$10. mine took a bit over a week to arrive. if you’re extremely unlucky, you might need two of them, but i was fine with just one. buy here

basic setup

once your RTL-SDR arrives, you’ll want to put together your antenna. if you’re lucky, like i am, you can just extend the antennas arbitrarily and it’ll work fine; if you’re cursed, the RTL-SDR website has resources on how long is ideal for various frequencies.

connect the antenna to the RTL-SDR unit, plug it in, and follow the RTL-SDR quick start guide. SDRSharp will work, or any of the other Windows options. some of what we’ll need is only available on windows.

once your RTL-SDR’s drivers are sorted out, find the specifications for police radio in your area on RadioReference. click your state, click your county, scroll down and see if there’s a link above a frequency table for you. if you’re lucky, there is, and if you click it there’s a page with a table with System Type and System Voice entries at the top. mine has a system type of EDACS Networked Standard and a system voice of ProVoice and Analog, so the rest of this assumes that’s what you’ve got as well. if not, good luck.

there should be a table for System Frequencies on your RadioReference page. start up SDRSharp and tune your radio to the first frequency listed there. you’ll probably hear a bunch of static and the UI will look something like this:

see how there’s one constant signal and a bunch of other signals that appear and disappear all over the place? well, that’s trunking, and the constant signal is our control channel. if you don’t see it, you can click and drag on the bottom axis of the top panel to change the view. once you’ve found that constant signal, click on it to get the approximate frequency, go back to your frequency table and the closest thing to that will be the exact frequency. it should sound like a series of weird beeps instead of static. remember that frequency, it’ll be important later.

update 2020-07-31: that control channel can change between the frequencies listed on RadioReference. if things randomly quit working, come back to this step, and see if the control channel has moved. i’ll mark down below the places that need changing accordingly.

specific setup

EDACS is a trunked system, so we’re using RTL-SDR’s trunked radio tutorial as our guide, mostly. that guide assumes we have two RTL-SDRs, but there’s a piece at the end explaining how to do it with just one. that sucks. i’m going to paraphrase it here.

first, we’re going to download the software we need: Unitrunker, VB-Cable, and DSD+ (extract both the regular and DLL downloads to the same folder). install unitrunker and VB-Cable and extract dsd+ somewhere convenient. you might need to reboot after installing VB-Cable because computers are bad. VB-Cable might set your default input and output devices to the wrong things when you install it, so switch them back if it does. https://www.unitrunker.com/download.html

or dowmload zippped MSI file from us HERE  UniTrunker-2.1.0.108

open up dsd+. it’ll open four different windows, one of them should have a list of audio input and output devices. check the number in the input list that goes with CABLE Output – for me it’s 3. pull up notepad and make a new file. since my input was number 3, i’m typing

DSDPlus.exe -i3M

in that file: if yours is not 3, put whatever the correct number is for you instead of 3. then, save the file, find your DSDPlus folder, make sure the type is set to “All Files”, and name the file run.bat. close dsd+, go to that folder, and open that run.bat file you just created. it should pull up dsd+ and if you’re lucky it’ll print

audio input device #3 (CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual ) initialized

or something like that. leave that open.

open up unitrunker. click the + to add a new receiver, and click the RTL2832 button to add your RTL-SDR. set your settings around like this:

the most important things are the RTL Device, the sample rate (2.56 msps), and the VCOs (2 VCOs). i do not know what a VCO is and i do not care enough to find out. we should now have two VCO tabs next to our info tab. the first one needs to look kinda like this:

the important things are the Role being Signal, the Park frequency being the control channel we found earlier (mine is 851.7625), and the Mute box being checked.

update 2020-07-31: if the control channel changes, this Park frequency is one of the two things you’ll need to update.

the second VCO should look kinda like this:

the important things are the Role being Voice, the Deemphasis box being unchecked, and the Digital Output being set to your CABLE Input. this means it will connect up with dsd+ listening to our CABLE Output.

press Play now; it should pull up a window with a Channels tab. the Channels tab should look something like this:

but the Frequency column will all be zeroes except for the control frequency we found earlier. you’ll need to copy over the rest of the frequencies manually from the RadioReference site.

update 2020-07-31: if the control channel changes, you’ll need to uncheck the Control box on the old control channel, and check the Control box on the new control channel.

press the stop button and the play button again, and everything should in theory be working. ideally, the Call History tab will be crowded and updating pretty frequently, and unitrunker will be passing things along to dsd+ which will give us the audio we want. technically, this is enough.

groups

the thing, though, is we don’t have context for any of this. for now, at least. RadioReference should have a table or several of talkgroups – the “list all in one table” button may come in handy – and we can use that information to figure out who we’re hearing, and have at least some control over who takes priority if multiple people in different contexts are talking at once.

find the main unitrunker window – it’s titled “Universal Trunker” and if you don’t have it open just click the home button a bunch until it opens – and then open the Systems tab and double-click the one that exists. open the Groups tab in that window, and it should give you a massive list with columns for ID, Label, and a bunch of stuff we don’t care about right now. the ID matches up with the DEC column in the RadioReference table, and the Label can be either “Description” or “Alpha Tag” or something you make up yourself if you feel creative. if you pay RadioReference $15 for a Premium subscription then unitrunker can import that data automatically.

once you’ve filled that all in, open the Sites tab and double-click the entry you see there, then open the Call History tab. the group labels you added should now be appearing in the Audience column; the LCN and Frequency should turn green for what unitrunker is currently listening to.

back in the Groups tab, you can edit the Priority values to control which groups will be chosen more often – as far as i can tell, higher priority groups will interrupt lower priority groups, and equal priority groups will just play whoever started talking first.

broadcasting

this setup lets you listen to things locally, but what if you want your comrades with no hardware to be able to also listen? the laziest option is to just stream the Call History window on Twitch or something, but in theory there are better options. RadioReference runs Broadcastify, which is designed for hosting police scanner livestreams, but they have to manually approve your broadcast, which is annoying for short term activity. you could run an icecast server yourself or something, but that takes effort to configure. honestly all of those kinda suck but those are your options as far as i know.

update 2020-07-31: you can also let your friendly neighborhood succulent run an icecast server for you; reach out to me if you need something like this. if you’ve got an icecast server, you’ll need to pay for (or otherwise obtain) VB-CABLE A+B, set up VB-CABLE A, and grab butt (broadcast using this tool).

you’ll need to set DSD+ to output to “CABLE-A Input” like how you set it to input from “CABLE Output” – Cable A is the fourth output in DSD+, so my run.bat now looks like this:

DSDPlus.exe -i3M -o4

run butt, pull up the settings, and under the Audio tab set the Input Device to “CABLE-A Output”. (for bonus points, set the Streaming Codec to AAC+.) under the Main tab, Add a new Server and put in whatever info your icecast server admin told you to use. now restart your DSD+ and hit butt’s play button to start streaming, and you should be running a livestream of your police scanner that is accessible over the internet. source

Understanding, Listening and Recording Trunked Radio Systems with an RTL-SDR and Trunk-Recorder