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Not every demo at security cons goes off without a hitch: Badass hackers Ryan and Jeremy electrocuted themselves when building what could have been the first device capable of wirelessly exploiting door-opening push buttons.
The pair demonstrated the trial and
terror process of building the box at the Kiwicon hacking event in New Zealand last Friday.Before its insides dissolved due to extreme heat, the device was capable of activating the push buttons that open doors to allow egress from secure buildings - but from the outside of that building.
Ryan and Jeremy's beefed-up electromagnet is the latest in a niche line of research which would allow attackers to enter buildings by using the devices to unlock the push-button door controls.
"I guess they really are touch-to-enter buttons," Jeremy told the 2,000 laughing hackers at the Michael Fowler centre, Wellington.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Tuesday November 22 2016, @08:53AM
Funny you should mention that, there were engineers checking the building the talk was being held in for earthquake damage while the talks were going on. There'd been a quake two days beforehand (the initial checks were OK, these were follow-up checks for lesser damage). Oh, and there was flooding as well. And gale-force winds. They really pull out all the stops for Kiwicon.