Creator Hathey Mash has launched a Kickstarter campaign for HackStar, described as an advanced ethical hacking tool. It is capable of acting like a USB HID device, meaning it can send keystrokes (mimicking human patterns) and also control the mouse. Through languages including Python, C, C++, and MicroPython, one can program it to execute custom scripts, including payloads for automated actions.
The device can run tests without leaving software traces like logs behind. Multiple devices can be paired in a master-slave setup to synchronously perform operations. It comes with a library of scripts that completely run on the onboard processor, with no cloud involvement. And because the device is open source, you can verify that it isn’t spying, syncing, or sending your data anywhere. A replication module makes copying the configuration across devices easy.
HackStar comes in two variants, one of which is powered by ESP32-S3 and allows wireless control for remote use cases. It has 2.4GHz Wi-Fi/Bluetooth LE and an Xtensa 32-bit LX7 dual-core processor that can run at a clock speed of 240 megahertz. The other one is powered by an RP2040 and is meant for applications that don’t require wireless connectivity. It features a dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor that can run at up to 133 MHz. Production starts as soon as the campaign ends in December 2025, and delivery is expected by January 2026.
