Just what is a Flipper Zero? The cute gadget is quickly becoming a most wanted item from TikTok. But. what is it and what does it actually do?
From Kickstarter idea to a fully realized product, the Flipper Zero is a beast of a tiny gadget. Inside its tiny housing, the Flipper holds multiple sensors and different digital protocols. This includes things like RFID and NFC, which can be used to emulate keycards or scan credit cards.
The device is not as nefarious as it sounds. The Flipper Zero’s original use-case before spiraling out on TikTok, is to be the multitool to end all multitools. It can give you access to a range of high-end functions, that would normally require more expensive equipment to perform.
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@thevalcyn Honey, I’m taking this POS to carmax. #gotem #harmlessprank #tesla #teslatok #flipperzero #cybersecurity #subghz #notsafe #teslabutthole #teslamodel3 ♬ Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) – Coolio
What can the Flipper Zero do?
The Flipper Zero houses radio and wireless equipment that can fool around with screens or even a Tesla. Currently, Tesla’s charging hatch uses a particular frequency that isn’t usually available to those the general public. With this available through the Flipper Zero, it has led to pranksters causing havoc in parking lots.
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It even has infrared, so you can point it and mess about with displays in stores. Don’t worry, it won’t be able to broadcast images on the screens themselves. You can only turn them off and on, or change a channel, like a TV remote.
Additionally, the Flipper Zero also has GPIO pins at the top of the device. General Purpose Input/Output pins are often found on microcontrollers and Raspberry Pis. These pins can take in external devices – like the Wi-Fi module – and be put to use alongside Flipper’s broad spectrum of tools.
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One of the best things we’ve seen has to be the Amiibo emulator. All you need to do is press a button, and get an Amiibo bonus in your Switch games. That’s as long as you copy your physical Amiibo to the Flipper Zero first.
It’s mostly harmless.
The security concern comes from a slightly misinformed place. They believe it could lead to people getting access to things that they normally wouldn’t be able to control. In reality, the majority of its functions can be replicated by a smartphone. On top of this, it requires a lot of effort in order to code to do those nefarious deeds. It’s all just a bit harmless, and a lot of fun. It can be used for those applications, but the majority of users won’t’ delve that deep.
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When scanning credit cards, the device doesn’t store some essential information. You’ll only get the card’s long number, and the type of card. You couldn’t then use that data to pay for something, like Apple Pay, as it wouldn’t have the encryption data needed to make the transaction.
However, if you lost a fob, or your keys, you can easily use the device to replace it. This could potentially save you cash, as you can just store all your digital keys directly on the device. You can open all manner of gates and doors, as long as you clone the keys first.
Is the Flipper Zero dangerous?
The Flipper Zero is an amazing device and one that has been grossly misunderstood on social media. It’s for tinkering, accessing doors, and testing security. The device is aimed at geeks and hardcore red-team penetration testers. Only after putting in a lot of effort, will it do harm to the general public.
