New Device Has Police, School Officials In Utah Worried

What the heck is a Flipper Zero? And is it legal to own?

The makers of Flipper Zero, Flipper Devices, Inc., describe the handheld hacker toy as "a portable multi-tool for pentesters and geeks in a toy-like body. It loves hacking digital stuff, such as radio protocols, access control systems, hardware, and more. It's fully open-source and customizable, so you can extend it in whatever way you like."

In other words, it's a hacking device and for now it is perfectly legal to own.

In a story published on KSL.com, a Moab high school student used a Flipper Zero to disrupt electronics in a classroom for more than a week.

Beyond that, concerns center around the device's ability to hack garage door codes, stoplights and even car doors. So what is true and what is myth with a Flipper Zero?

First, the things a Flipper Zero CAN do:

• Record and replicate garage door codes
• Record and replicate keycards, like the ones they use at hospitals and big businesses
• Read and record your credit card, although getting the CVC number on the other side of the card is still usually required for purchases. The FZ can't do that.
• Hack/crash someone's phone, although Apple recently put out an update to try and prevent this.
• Be programmed to play video games and change the channel on a TV.

Now the things a Flipper Zero CANNOT do (yet):

• Steal a car's keycode to open doors, start the ignition
• Steal from an ATM
• Get into a hotel room
• Change gas prices
• Change the scoreboard at a sporting event

Thanks to Lifehacker for some of this information.

Given that most of its nefarious uses are just myth, even criminals would be hard-pressed to justify buying one of these. They cost $170.

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