A Networked Porta Potty and More Absurdity (at DEF CON's Scavenger Hunt)

"Don't Let InfoSec Distract You From Hacking" is the motto at DEF CON Scavenger Hunt, the infamous contest that rolled a porta potty rigged with networking equipment onto a bustling exposition floor last week, as part of the Contest Area at DEF CON 33.

The aptly named Trauma Dump: Hacker Confessional is a safe space where you can absolve your hacking syns to a virtual priest over a phone line, under ambient lighting - and it finds a home at the DEF CON Scavenger Hunt, amongst other absurd items including a teledildonic hand sanitizer, and SODA machine that lets you purchase Linux VPS credentials by distro flavor (in years past).

The chaos that descends upon Las Vegas every year when tens of thousands of hackers around the globe converge at DEF CON is hard to capture in its entirety — but the DEF CON Scavenger Hunt is a microcosm of this hacker chaos, a cornerstone at DEF CON that distills the essence of hacker culture into its cheeky challenges and bizarre projects.

Upcycled Hacker Art

Surveillance Mannequins that could very well be the four horsemen of the Surveillance State stand guard to the porta potty and other bizarre projects at the Scavenger Hunt booth this year. Cammy has a security camera for a head, Chad the ManSplainer a functional megaphone; and monitors for the other two.

The projects are an invitation for curious passersby to peer into a world where hacking is *expressive*, and a reminder that you really can hack the planet — who would've thought you could turn a porta potty or soda machine into installation art?

“We got bored sitting around waiting for people to submit items. Pet projects and random bits of nonsense that keep us entertained are why we have done so many things that are 100% unrelated” claims Scavenger Hunt Judge Evil Mofo. “The video wall was never part of the game — it was a project that looked cool and was a challenge for us to tinker with and make use of”.

The video set I used to shoot interviews last year at DEF CON 32, Between Two Spanning Trees (a reference to Between Two Ferns)was built “because we were bored and had all the equipment… we have also had ntsc broadcasts in the past, once as a challenge, and then after that simply because we could”.

To me, many of the projects serve to encourage competitors to be resourceful and clever with their submissions: "[Scavenger Hunt] lets you express creativity, and is a lot more fun than CTFs... I get bored sitting in one place when there's so much happening at DEF CON. I get to experience much more of it playing Scav Hunt!" remarks b4b3 from winning team breaking through.

Here's their entry for list item sickle me Elmo.

Mischief at Scavenger Hunt

If you feel like you don't belong at DEF CON, you should try the DEF CON Scavenger Hunt. I remember what it felt like being overwhelmed in a space where it feels like everyone else has a purpose, and when I found myself in the company of new friends this year looking for something to do, I suggested we try Scav Hunt.

The challenges span esoteric internet references, hacker puns, self-humiliation (with varying degrees of lewdness), and timeless classics like "do a kickflip". I didn't have a skateboard so here was my entry.

DEF CON Scavenger Hunt incites a degree of mischief, collaboration, and general resourcefulness to interpret the items — after all, hacking is about solving problems through unconventional methods and exploiting the constraints of your environment — and Scavenger Hunt calls for that exact kind of creativity!

The list items are an invitation for beginners to familiarize themselves with DEF CON. "It sends you all over ... visiting villages, talking to goons, going to after parties ... going in with the mindset of just having fun will make your DEF CON great!" remarks b4b3, who won Scav as a first-time DEF CON attendee last year. Her team won again this year, and was awarded a coveted DEF CON black badge.

Here's a great spoof they did on the viral Succulent Chinese Meal meme, for list item "Succulent Chinese Malware."

The National Upcycled Computing Collective

I had the privilege of collaborating with Scavenger Hunt to build lighting for the porta potty, using my DevKitty to program animations simulating what it might be like to burn in hell (featuring dramatic lightning strikes).

The hardware you find here is donated by the National Upcycled Computing Collective, a hacker non-profit from Southern California that charters decommissioned laptops and networking equipment to local schools, instituting cybersecurity programs for students that want to learn ethical hacking.

Some members like Steven use the resources for personal projects, like outfitting this decommissioned "robot hostess" with wireless hacking equipment, for wardriving of course. He debuted it at the Scav Hunt booth this year.

NUCC's art initiative stands testament to a philosophy that opposes ephemeral technology; a callback to the absurdity and resourcefulness that Scavenger Hunt pushes.

One of my favorite projects, the SODA machine (Shell-on-Demand-Appliance) is a technical masterpiece that lets you purchase Linux Virtual Machines (with distro flavors parodying after real beverages), and spits out a receipt with your VPS credentials. Of course, the VM's are hosted on the SODA Machine itself, running a couple hundred cores on four Dell R630s, networked to a Raspberry Pi and other donated equipment.

Keep an eye out for my full length article with NUCC coming soon, and reach out if you're interested in contributing hardware / donations!

Always Watching, Always Judging

"Always Watching, Always Judging" reads a Scavenger Hunt sticker, adjacent to another espousing "Hack Like Barbie" on the inside of the Trauma Dump.

At DEF CON I meet hackers that are doctors, maritime mechanics, lawyers, tattoo artists, sales associates, and 16 year olds that spent their last $500 in savings to attend. People from all walks of life communing over the creative desire to challenge the hand we've been dealt; a community that encourages you to question the ubiquitous technologies, protocols, and devices (physical, political, et al) that rule us in an accelerating technosocial age. Here, you're judged on the merit of your creativity, and given the tools to push yourself as far as you're willing.

I encourage you to attend DEF CON if hacking interests you even in the slightest. It's a sample platter spanning various industries, with friendly docents and challenges that will encourage you to find your people, and find your niche in this space. And if you feel lost at DEF CON, come find yourself at the DEF CON Scavenger Hunt.

Special thanks to Miscreants, NUCC, Hak5, Sly,and everyone else that made my experience at DEF CON 33.