Gadget that looks like ‘kids toy’ removed from Amazon after hidden use violates their policies
The handheld device has some harmless uses but also has the potential for criminal activity
A simple looking gadget that gives off the appearance of a kids toy has been banned from Amazon after it was revealed to violate one of their policies.
makes hacking really easy.
The Flipper Zero is a portable “multi-tool” device might resemble a nostalgic handheld video game console but it’s actually the perfect hacking tool.
It was designed to interact with access control systems, and the gadget is able to read, copy and emulate digital access keys, iButton, radio remotes, as well as systems that use radio waves and ones that use NFC tags, including smartphones.
Advert
The screen displays a virtual dolphin pet and interaction with the dolphin is the core game on the device.
However, in order to “upgrade” the pet, you will need to use the various hacking tools available which are guised as defining the appearance and emotions of the animal.
There are harmless functions, such as hacking a TV remote control, but some delve into potential criminal activity, including spamming a bluetooth connection and crashing someone’s phone.
Other functions include opening garage doors and unlocking cars.
The Flipper Zero costs $169 from their website but has since been removed from Amazon after being tagged as a "restricted item".
This is due to it being flagged as a card-skimming device, something that is banned from being sold on their website.
So, can it really do all of the crazy things it promises?
Not according to Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor at ZDNET.
He wrote: “I hate to break it to you, but 95% of the stuff you see people doing on TikTok and Instagram is fake nonsense created by people looking for 5 seconds of fame.
And this is a big negative for the Flipper Zero. These videos give people a false sense of what's possible, and it's going to mean that for every ten Flipper Zeros sold, a good nine are going to end up being resold or forgotten in a drawer or box.”
However, for those who stick with it, the tool could be a huge learning curve into the world of ethical hacking.
According to YouTuber Linus Sebastian, @LinusTechTips, one thing the RFID reader could be quite useful for is to scan pet microchips.
In a video for his channel titled This Makes Hacking TOO Easy - Flipper Zero, Sebastian said: “While they may sometimes be encrypted, it’s not uncommon for them to just be raw data and most countries that use them have some sort of central database.
“These databases probably won’t tell you any owner info but they will at least tell you what agency to get in contact with to get a lost pet back to its family.”
It’s also best to be careful if you buy one of these products for yourself as Kingsley-Hughes revealed that he’d “had my Flipper Zero for a couple of weeks and I've crashed Wi-Fi on my router, temporarily stopped a car's key fob from working properly (which could have meant a trip to the garage if I didn't know how to solve the issue), and made an AC unit go bananas using the IR remote.”