The Flipper Zero is a portable multi-functional hacking device developed for interaction with access control systems. The device is able to read, copy, and emulate

RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder called a tag, a radio receiver, and a transmitter. When tri ...

and

NFC tag Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be used for the bootst ...

s, radio remotes, iButtons, and digital access keys. It also has a

GPIO A general-purpose input/output (GPIO) is an uncommitted digital signal pin on an integrated circuit or electronic circuit (e.g. MCUs/ MPUs) board that can be used as an input or output, or both, and is controllable by software. GPIOs have no p ...

interface. It was first announced in August 2020 through the

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

crowdfunding campaign, which raised $4.8 million. The first devices were delivered to backers 18 months after completion of the crowdfunding campaign. The device's

user interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fro ...

embodies a pixel-art

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

virtual pet A virtual pet (also known as a digital pet, artificial pet, or pet-raising simulation) is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment, or as an alternative to a real pet. Digital pets have no conc ...

. The interaction with the virtual pet is the device's core game mechanic. The usage of the device's functions defines the appearance and emotions of the pet. In the built-in game, the main mechanism to "upgrade" the dolphin is to use the various hacking tools. While harmless uses (like as a

remote control A remote control, also known colloquially as a remote or clicker, is an consumer electronics, electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operat ...

for a television, or

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...

sensor) exist, some of the built-in tools have potential criminal uses, including

RFID skimming RFID skimming is a method to unlawfully obtain someone's payment card information using a RFID reading device. How RFID skimming is performed Modern payment cards have a built in chip that transmits card information wirelessly. This is because ...

, Bluetooth spamming (spamming a Bluetooth connection, crashing a person's phone), and emulation of

chips such as those found in identification badges, using the built-in radio cloner to open

garage door A garage door is a large door to allow access to a garage that opens either manually or by an electric motor (a garage door opener). Garage doors are frequently large enough to accommodate automobiles and other vehicles. The operating mechanis ...

s, unlocking cars, and functioning as a wireless

BadUSB BadUSB is a computer security attack using USB devices that are programmed with malicious software. For example, USB flash drives can contain a programmable Intel 8051 microcontroller, which can be reprogrammed, turning a USB flash drive into a m ...

Origin

The device was developed by Alex Kulagin and Pavel Zhovner in 2019. They started raising funds on

Overview

Flipper Zero is designed for interaction with various types of

access control In physical security and information security, access control (AC) is the action of deciding whether a subject should be granted or denied access to an object (for example, a place or a resource). The act of ''accessing'' may mean consuming ...

systems, radio protocols, RFID, near-field communication (

NFC NFC usually refers to: * Near-field communication, a set of communication protocols for electronic devices * National Football Conference, part of US National Football League NFC may also refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychol ...

), and

infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...

signals. To operate the device, a computer or a

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

is not required; it can be controlled via a 5-position

D-pad The D-pad (short for directional pad) is a compact input method developed for video games, designed to translate thumb movement into directional control through a flat, cross-shaped surface that rests on four internal switches. Each switch corres ...

and a separate back button. Flipper Zero has a monochrome orange backlight

LCD A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers to display information. Liquid crystals do not em ...

screen with a resolution of 128× 64

pixel In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a Raster graphics, raster image, or the smallest addressable element in a dot matrix display device. In most digital display devices, p ...

s. For connection with external modules, the device has general-purpose input/output (

)

pinhole A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in many fields of e ...

s on the top side. User data and

firmware In computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computer, computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and the development of both computer hardware, h ...

updates are stored on a

microSD Secure Digital (SD) is a proprietary hardware, proprietary, non-volatile memory, non-volatile, flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA). Owing to their compact size, SD cards have been widely adopted in a variety of port ...

card. Some actions, such as firmware or user data update, require a connection to a computer or a smartphone with the developer's software installed. In July 2023, an

app store An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not i ...

was opened for the device.

Technical specification

The electronic schematics and firmware of the Flipper Zero project are open sourced under the

GNU General Public License The GNU General Public Licenses (GNU GPL or simply GPL) are a series of widely used free software licenses, or ''copyleft'' licenses, that guarantee end users the freedom to run, study, share, or modify the software. The GPL was the first ...

. At the same time, the device does not fit into the

open-source hardware Open-source hardware (OSH, OSHW) consists of physical artifact (software development), artifacts of technology designed and offered by the open-design movement. Both free and open-source software (FOSS) and open-source hardware are created by th ...

category because the

printed circuit board A printed circuit board (PCB), also called printed wiring board (PWB), is a Lamination, laminated sandwich structure of electrical conduction, conductive and Insulator (electricity), insulating layers, each with a pattern of traces, planes ...

s are not open-sourced, which does not allow enthusiasts to make their own copies of the device without knowledge of electrical engineering.

Hardware

Flipper Zero's hardware consists of four PCB modules connected by flexible cables. The battery is positioned in the center of the device between three of the PCBs. * Main PCB (motherboard)contains core components, including the main processor (STM32WB55), GPIO breakout pins, LCD display, Sub-GHz chip and its antenna, Bluetooth antenna, microSD card slot, battery controller, USB Type-C port, and membrane switches for the D-pad. All additional PCBs connect to the main PCB via flexible cables. * Infrared and iButton PCBa small board equipped with an infrared receiver (TSOP-75338) and three infrared LEDs for transmitting infrared signals. Includes three pogo pins for iButton (1-Wire) tags and a piezo buzzer (BCE-MX8530A) for audio feedback. * NFC PCBcontains the NFC chip (STM ST25R3916) along with analog circuitry for 125 kHz RFID. * Dual-Band RFID Antenna PCBfeatures two passive coil antennas: one for 13.56 MHz NFC communication and another for 125 kHz RFID systems.

Microcontroller (MCU)

Flipper Zero is based on a dual-core

ARM In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between ...

architecture

STM32 STM32 is a family of 32-bit microcontroller and microprocessor integrated circuits by STMicroelectronics. STM32 microcontrollers are grouped into related series that are based around the same 32-bit ARM processor core: Cortex-M0, Cortex-M0+, C ...

WB55

microcontroller A microcontroller (MC, uC, or μC) or microcontroller unit (MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable input/output peripherals. Pro ...

, which has 256 KB of RAM and 1 MB of Flash storage. The first core is a 64 MHz

Cortex-M4 The ARM Cortex-M is a group of 32-bit RISC ARM processor cores licensed by ARM Limited. These cores are optimized for low-cost and energy-efficient integrated circuits, which have been embedded in tens of billions of consumer devices. Thoug ...

which runs the main firmware. The second core is a 32 MHz

Cortex-M0 The ARM Cortex-M is a group of 32-bit RISC ARM processor cores licensed by ARM Limited. These cores are optimized for low-cost and energy-efficient integrated circuits, which have been embedded in tens of billions of consumer devices. Thoug ...

which runs

STMicroelectronics STMicroelectronics Naamloze vennootschap, NV (commonly referred to as ST or STMicro) is a European multinational corporation, multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. It is the largest of such companies in Europe. ...

proprietary {{Short pages monitor

Sub-GHz

Flipper Zero has a built-in module that can read, store, and emulate remote controls, allowing it to receive and send radio frequencies between 300 and 928 MHz. These switches, radio locks, wireless doorbells, remote controls, barriers, gates, smart lighting, and other devices can all be operated with these controls. Using Sub-GHz Flipper Zero can also receive and decode the data from many weather stations.

125 kHz RFID

Flipper Zero is compatible with low-frequency (LF) radio frequency identification (

), which is used in supply chain tracking systems, animal chips, and access control systems. LF RFID cards typically don't offer high levels of security, in contrast to NFC cards. Numerous form factors of this technology are available, including plastic cards, key fobs, tags, wristbands, and animal microchips. A low-frequency RFID module in the Flipper Zero can read, save, simulate, and write LF RFID cards.

NFC

NFC technology, which is used in smart cards for access control and cards, and digital business cards, is compatible with Flipper Zero. The 13.56 MHz NFC module has the ability to imitate, read, and store these cards. An NFC card is a transponder with a unique identification (UID), and rewritable memory for data storage. When placed close to a reader, NFC cards transmit the needed data.

Infrared

Flipper Zero can read and transmit signals that use infrared light (IR) such as TVs, air conditioners, or audio devices. It can learn and save infrared remote controls or use its own

Universal remote A universal remote is a remote control that can be programmed to operate various brands of one or more types of consumer electronics devices. Low-end universal remotes can only control a set number of devices determined by their manufacturer, wh ...

GPIO and modules

Flipper Zero explores hardware, flash firmware, debugging, and fuzz. It is able to function as a USB converter for

UART A universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART ) is a peripheral device for asynchronous serial communication in which the data format and transmission speeds are configurable. It sends data bits one by one, from the least significant to ...

, SPI, or I2C. The built-in GPIO pins connect to hardware, operate by buttons, send out code, and display messages on the LCD screen.

iButton

The Flipper Zero has an iButton connector to allow it to read and emulate iButton contact keys.

BadUSB

devices have the ability to alter system settings, unlock backdoors, recover data, launch reverse shells, and do any other physical access-based actions. Flipper Zero can function as a BadUSB and, when connected to an insecure computing device, acts as a keyboard-like

Human interface device A human interface device (HID) is a type of computer device usually used by humans that takes input from or provides output to humans. The term "HID" most commonly refers to the USB HID specification. The term was coined by Mike Van Flandern ...

(HID). Commands (the

payload Payload is the object or the entity that is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of t ...

) are injected and executed using DuckyScript (the macro scripting language developed as part of the ' USB Rubber Ducky' BadUSB project).

U2F (Universal 2nd Factor)

* Use the flipper as a second authentication factor for your Google account and others

HID controllers

Flipper Zero can replace certain HID (human interface device) controllers. This allows it to interact with your phone or computer. It can remotely control media players, computer keyboards or mouse, presentations, and more. * Keynote: Presentations remote * Keyboard: Double as a keyboard for a computer * Media: Controls media on a computer, camera remote control for a phone * Mouse: Double as a mouse for a computer * TikTok Controller: Control TikTok app on a phone * Mouse Jiggler: Duplicate mouse movements on a computer to keep computer showing as active at all times * PTT : use the flipper as a PTT (push to talk) controller / wireless PTT remote

Bans, seizure, police bulletin and other incidents

U.S. Customs seizure and release

In late 2022,

U.S. Customs and Border Protection United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilita ...

seized a shipment of 15,000 devices, but they were eventually released.

Amazon ban

On 7 April 2023,

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

banned sales of the Flipper Zero via their site for being a "card skimming device".

Brazil seizures

In 2023 people in Brazil who ordered Flipper Zeros reported that their orders had been seized by

Anatel The National Telecommunications Agency () or Anatel is a special agency in Brazil created by the general telecommunications act (Law 9472, 16/07/1997) in 1997 and governed by Decree 2338 of 07/10/1997. The agency is administratively and financi ...

. According to the

Electronic Frontier Foundation The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an American international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1990 to promote Internet civil liberties. It provides funds for legal defense in court, ...

, Anatel has flagged the devices as being a tool for criminal purposes, making the certification process complicated. Users have tried getting their devices certified, but to no avail. The EFF has said that the seizures would limit the ability of Brazilian cybersecurity researchers to conduct research, as they have legitimate uses for the device.

Police bulletin on Flipper Zero

In August 2023, ''

The Daily Dot ''The Daily Dot'' is a digital media company covering the culture of the Internet and the World Wide Web. It was founded by Nicholas White in 2011, and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The site, conceived as the Internet's "hometown newsp ...

'' published an article on a bulletin for police officers published by the South Dakota Fusion Centre. The document suggested that extremists might use the device to bypass access control systems controls, particularly on power stations. The bulletin admitted there was no concrete evidence of plans by said extremists to use the device, though interest had been expressed on online forums. Flipper CEO Pavel Zhovner was shown a copy of the bulletin and said that the Flipper Zero had been deliberately designed to not affect modern access control systems. He also pointed out that the bulletin itself said that gates at power stations were not inherently vulnerable to the device but that older gates might be.

Gatwick seizure

On 27 September 2023 a security staff member at

Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport , also known as London Gatwick Airport (), is the Airports of London, secondary international airport serving London, West Sussex and Surrey. It is located near Crawley in West Sussex, south of Central London. In 2024, Gatwic ...

confiscated a Flipper Zero from Vitor Domingos due to security concerns. The device was then handed over to

Sussex Police Sussex Police are the territorial police force responsible for policing in the whole of Sussex. Their jurisdiction covers the ceremonial counties of East Sussex and West Sussex. Their headquarters are in Malling House, Lewes, East Sussex. Hi ...

Midwest FurFest Bluetooth Low Energy attack

In September 2023 the ability to launch

Bluetooth Low Energy Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE, colloquially BLE, formerly marketed as Bluetooth Smart) is a wireless personal area network technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) aimed at novel applications ...

spam attacks with a Flipper Zero was demonstrated by a security researcher known as 'Techryptic'. A custom Flipper Zero firmware was developed shortly afterward that could launch spam attacks against

Android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...

devices and

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

computers. An Android app to launch BLE attacks was developed shortly afterwards. At the 2023

Midwest FurFest Midwest FurFest (MFF) is a furry convention that takes place in Rosemont, Illinois, usually on the second weekend after Thanksgiving. First held in 2000, MFF is presented by Midwest Furry Fandom Inc, an Illinois Educational Not-For-Profit Corpora ...

attendees reported severe disruption of

Square In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...

payment readers and an insulin pump controller crashed due to the BLE spam. A researcher known as Remy said to

Bleeping Computer ''Bleeping Computer'' is a website covering technology news and offering free computer help via its forums that was created by Lawrence Abrams in 2004. It publishes news focusing heavily on cybersecurity, but also covers other topics including c ...

: "For BTLE enabled medical equipment, at minimum a disruption results in a degraded quality of life for those affected," adding "Some conditions may not be life threatening to have disruptions. Others may not be so lucky." As a result, a

Python Python may refer to: Snakes * Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia ** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia * Python (mythology), a mythical serpent Computing * Python (prog ...

script was developed by the Wall of Flippers project for

Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...

and Windows to detect BLE spam attacks coming from Flipper and Android devices.

Potential Canadian ban

In February 2024, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada announced that they had the intention of banning the Flipper Zero and other devices that could be used to clone wireless signals for remote entry in response to a significant increase in auto thefts. On 20 March 2024, ISED announced that it would ban the use of the Flipper for illegal acts, but not ban it outright.

References

{{Reflist Radio-frequency identification Kickstarter-funded products ARM-based computers Mobile computers Products introduced in 2020 Handheld virtual pets