Welcome to 2020. This year, we have BSIDESROC coming up in late March and, with a few of us hoping to compete and learn, I’ve adjusted my hacking kit and tools a little for this.
First things first, the rig: a Dell Precision M4800. This monster is perfect for VMs, compiling code (Arduino much?), and just a general work horse for travel. The machine is a Quad-core i7 (4C/8T) with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. I have two VMs specifically for this: One with Kali (latest rolling release) and ParrotOS which has grown on me quite a lot with its attractive GUI and driver support, especially with the Alfa chipsets.
For the kit: I’m using a SwissGear low key airport backpack that allows scanning without removing the laptop. It’s flat black, no obvious markers or anything that stands out; Grey man approach is key in any place as a hacker/pentester. I’m using an Alfa AWUS036NH 2W Wifi adapter for the packet injection and long range Wifi testing and monitoring. This has proven again and again to offer exceptional range with 2.4GHz bands and has been a go-to now for a while. I also bring an Alfa AC1900 WiFi Adapter as a backup if needed, but with the quad antenna layout, it tends to be far from discreet when using in public. Also in the pack are multiple flash drives, small screwdriver set and my Raspberry Pi loadout.
The Raspberry Pi’s are going to be a new thing this year. One, a PiratePi, is specifically set up for people to tinker, upload files onto and just general sh*tpost on and mess with. This unit is running another Alfa AWUS036NH for a massive upgrade in range; In testing, I could walk several houses away and still connect without issues. I also have something I stumbled on fairly recently: A “pwnagotchi” Pi Zero W unit that collects data on local networks with an AI driven system. This AI self learns and adjusts to local networks and is just a wonder to monitor and watch as it works. Both of these with a battery bank will be running on a Grid-It organizer, here:
Once I swap the case for the Pi Zero for one with a proper heatsink, this will easily fit in my pack and can run for over 30 hours at a time.
I absolutely cannot wait for this year and will hopefully be able to compete with the CTF tournament as well. Hopefully more information and photos coming in the future. Thanks for reading!