Welcome to my running catalog of hacking and cybersecurity gadgets. My goal here is to compile as complete a list as possible of the hardware devices that live at the intersection of security research, hardware hacking, and electronics tinkering. Most of the devices listed here I'm personally familiar with, and the collection leans toward gadgets that are still available today. In cases where a device has since moved on to a newer revision, I've sometimes included the earlier or original versions as well, for the sake of completeness and historical context.
Many of these devices I own, and a good number I've built myself. That hands-on element is a big part of why I find this hobby so rewarding. Constructing these gadgets can be genuinely fun, and along the way you end up learning a tremendous amount: how hardware actually works, the fundamentals of electronics, the wireless and wired protocols these devices speak, and, most importantly, where those protocols and implementations tend to be vulnerable.
A quick note on scope: not every device here is something a penetration tester would actually reach for during an engagement. Some are legitimate, practical tools that earn a spot in a professional's kit. Others are closer to novelties, more valuable as learning platforms or conversation pieces than as serious assessment tools. I've included both ends of that spectrum on purpose. This page represents only a small fraction of what's out there, and I'll keep expanding it over time. Tap any image to enlarge it.
Devices
BLEShark Nano
$50
A pocket-sized wireless research tool specialized for Bluetooth Low Energy and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, with infrared thrown in for good measure. It's driven from your terminal through an open-source CLI, so you can capture handshakes, stream to Wireshark, and script BLE all from one device.
Built on an ESP32-C3 with a 0.66" monochrome OLED, USB-C, and 6 to 12 hours of active runtime. It packs thirty-plus features, every one of them aimed squarely at the BLE and Wi-Fi attack surface. Specialized by choice rather than trying to do everything at once.
PurchaseBruce Firmware
Bruce isn't a specific device; it's custom firmware that can be installed on multiple devices. Once flashed, it turns compatible hardware into an all-in-one pentesting tool that can monitor, enumerate, and attack protocols like BLE, Wi-Fi, RF, RFID, IR, FM, NRF24, and more. In spirit it's similar to the Flipper Zero or HaleHound, capable of a diverse range of attacks from a single device.
Some of the more popular hardware options right now are the Lilygo T-Embed, the Cardputer, the Bruce RF Reaper, the Cheap Yellow Display (CYD), and the M5Stack StickC Plus 2.
The Bruce project's website has a lot to offer: detailed guides on supported devices, a thorough wiki, links to purchase hardware, and an app store with dozens of installable applications. It also includes a web flasher, so you can flash Bruce to your chosen device right from the browser, plus a Theme Builder for creating fully personalized themes.
Project Site GitHubLilygo T-Embed CC1101 Plus
$60.65
The T-Embed CC1101 Plus is essentially the T-Embed CC1101 with an added nRF24L01 module. It also includes a PN532 NFC/RFID I2C transceiver module, giving it a broad wireless attack surface out of the box.
PurchaseRF Reaper (by Smoochie)
This board combines multiple wireless technologies with extensive GPIO capabilities, making it a great fit for beginners and hobbyists who want to learn, as well as advanced users interested in RF and IoT development. Links to purchase the PCB and build your own RF Reaper are on the boards page of Bruce's website. Building it yourself is ideal because it's easy to wire everything up and include all the components in one place: CC1101, NRF24, GPS, Wi-Fi, BLE, and NFC.
Boards / Build InfoM5Stack Devices
M5Stack makes a wide variety of Bruce-compatible devices, from the extremely tiny and limited Stick to the Cardputer, a complete miniature computer. There are many options to choose from.
M5Stack StickC Plus 2 — Extremely small and very cool. It has only three physical buttons and is limited on built-in peripherals, including just BLE, Wi-Fi, and IR. That said, M5Stack produces a wide range of modules (NFC, NRF24, GPS, and more) that connect easily to expand its capabilities.
M5Stack Cardputer (Adv)
$29.90
The Cardputer is a card-sized computer designed for engineers, featuring an M5StampS3 as the main controller. For interaction it has a 56-key keyboard and a 1.14" TFT screen. An onboard SPM1423 digital MEMS microphone supports recording and wake-up functions, a built-in cavity speaker handles audio playback, and an infrared emitter provides IR control.
Expansion comes via a Grove port for custom sensors and a microSD slot for storage. Power is supplied by an internal 120 mAh battery plus a 1400 mAh battery in the base, with integrated charge, boost, and buck circuits for greatly extended runtime. The magnetic base attaches to metal surfaces and offers LEGO-compatible mounting holes.
There are multiple versions of the Cardputer, including 1.1, Adv (Advanced), and the soon-to-be-released Cardputer Zero. The Adv is the current version as of July 2026.
Purchase (Adv) Cardputer Zero Zero KickstarterCYD (Cheap Yellow Display)
$10–$18
The CYD is a low-cost, all-in-one ESP32 development board that packs a color TFT touchscreen, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth onto a single board, along with the ESP32 microcontroller itself, USB for power and flashing, a microSD slot, and a few exposed GPIO pins for add-ons. Because everything is integrated, it's a popular starting point for hobbyist projects and pentesting firmware like Bruce, where the built-in display and touch input mean you don't have to wire up your own screen.
Do note that "CYD" isn't a single product. There are multiple variants, including different board revisions and both white and black versions that differ in their components (display driver, touch controller, and pin layout can all vary). Care must be taken to purchase the correct CYD variant, since not every version is compatible with Bruce, and buying the wrong one can mean the display, touch, or SD card won't work correctly without extra configuration, if at all.
3.5" Exposed SPI — $18 2.8" E32R28T — $15.25 Overview / ReviewBus Pirate
First introduced in 2008 by creator Ian Lesnet and now on version 6, the Bus Pirate is an open-hardware multi-tool designed to easily tap into a wide array of communication protocols while also providing functions useful during hardware development and reverse engineering. It can talk to your I2C and SPI devices, measure frequencies, check voltages, program chips, and even function as a logic analyzer or oscilloscope.
Bus Pirate v3.6a
$40.77A troubleshooting tool that communicates between a PC and any embedded device over 1-Wire, 2-wire, 3-wire, UART, I2C, SPI, and HD44780 LCD protocols, all at voltages from 0 to 5.5 VDC. It eliminates a ton of early prototyping effort when working with new or unknown chips. You type commands into a terminal, the Bus Pirate interprets them and sends them over the proper protocol, and it interprets data coming back from the device to your terminal. A bootloader on the PIC lets you easily update the firmware and change the board's functionality.
The main components are a PIC24FJ64 processor and an FT232RL USB-to-serial chip. A populated Mini-B USB connector supplies power and lets you interact with it from your PC. The major change in this version is the shrouded 0.1" pitch 2x5 pin header, flipped around to help standardize the board, with every pin labeled so you no longer need a separate I/O pin description document.
PurchaseBus Pirate 5
$42.50
The latest Bus Pirate 5 REV10 with injection-molded enclosure. Extras include six button caps (dyed red/yellow/blue, hydro-dipped carbon fiber, chrome, and black), a 2mm hex wrench, and extra 7mm DIN7991 bolts.
PurchaseBus Pirate 6
$82.50
Bus Pirate 6 (RP2350B) with enclosure. Features 520K of RAM, 2x ARM M33 cores, and 2x RISC-V Hazard3 cores. Ships with enclosure, alternate button caps, and hex wrench.
PurchaseESP32 Marauder
The Marauder is a portable penetration-testing tool created for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth analysis. It comes installed with a suite of tools all running on an ESP32.
GitHubMarauder v8
$100The v8 iteration is built on the ESP32-C5, giving it additional memory, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, and dual-band Wi-Fi.
PurchaseMarauder Mini v3
$95Faultier
$49
The Hextree Faultier is a low-cost suite that includes hardware for performing voltage fault-injection attacks. It's the companion hardware for the Hextree fault-injection courses, making it a great entry point for learning glitching and fault-injection techniques hands-on.
PurchaseSuppliers & Distributors
Adafruit
Large selection of tools, accessories, and electronics: Raspberry Pis, batteries, CircuitPython, Arduino, screens, robotics, CNC, motors, and much more.
adafruit.comBlinkinlabs
Bus Pirate and accessories, solder paste framekits and tools, and Raspberry Pi accessories, including a Raspberry Pi JTAG hat, a MicroSD-to-JTAG adaptor for ESP32, and LED strips.
shop.blinkinlabs.comCarbon Computers
A big selection of unique computers, electronics, and tools, including DIY kits like the Graviton organic space mouse for CAD.
carboncomputers.usCrowd Supply
A crowdfunding and retail platform with a big selection of unique computers, electronics, and hardware tools, often from independent creators.
crowdsupply.comDirty PCBs
A PCB print-on-demand producer. A number of projects (including the Bus Pirate) have set up their products to be ordered directly through the store.
dirtypcbs.comElectrokit
A Swedish-based supplier of a diverse selection of products, including high-end oscilloscopes, screens, and electronic components like diodes, resistors, and LEDs.
electrokit.comHacker Warehouse
A large and long-running supplier of many gadgets, including pentesting tools, RF/wireless tools, RFID gear, the Flipper Zero, HackRF, and the T-Embed CC1101 ($65). One of their coolest products is the Emergency Bracelet ($25), a modern-aesthetic bracelet equipped with a window breaker and a delta handcuff key.
hackerwarehouse.comJust Call Me Koko
Home of the official ESP32 Marauder. Also carries antennas, displays, Flipper accessories, a C5 wardriver, batteries, and multiple types of ESP32 microcontrollers.
justcallmekokollc.comLab401
An EU-based distributor of a large number of hacking tools: RFID, implants, pentesting tools, SubGHz gear, SDR tools, antennas, range extenders, physical audit tools, lock picking, and US/EU bump-key sets. Unique offerings include the FIT'D and LIFT'D door-bypass tools, rapid door-bypass tools for red teamers (FITD prevents doors from latching closed; attach it to a secured door frame and come back later for access, sold in packs of 10 for $26).
lab401.comThe Pi Hut
As the name implies, this store focuses on Raspberry Pis, including hats, cables, screens, and cases. They also carry Arduino, M5Stack, micro:bit, and much more.
thepihut.comSeeed Studio
A well-known supplier of development boards, sensors, modules, and electronics components, and the originator of the Grove connector standard used across many of these devices.
seeedstudio.com