Microcontrollers wreaking havoc
A blog about how common micro controllers can be more powerful than just their intended use
As the modern day advances and technology starts to get better in almost every field from AI to factory manufacturing robots , there is a special breed of people who want to use these for purposes they were not meant for. This is not necessarily a bad thing as this has led to the rise of some amazing projects that can not only add more convenience to life , but can also allow for some incredibly cheap alternatives to otherwise expensive products.
Now of course you cannot expect these devices to work like the actual products that they are replacing , because they are often developed by only a singular person or at most a team of 3, so there is always a chance that these will have some bugs or features which are absent. Some examples are that these can link up to normal light bulbs to make them smart or integrate in a normal garage door to give it wifi capabilities. These take a little while longer to setup when compared to off the shelf solutions but once setup correctly it can be controlled through your voice assistants or through an app just like the real thing.
On the other hand these micro controllers can also be used for ill intent, such as a particular micro controller named the ‘ESP 32’ is an ordinary wifi development board but has a wifi chip which when paired with the correct firmware can perform some wifi attacks with everything you would expect from a normal attack but without the bulky hardware needed. What makes this particularly scary is that these wifi development boards are relatively inexpensive and can be bought on almost any e-shopping websites. When combining it with the equally freely available firmware it can be very dangerous in the wrong hands but also very convenient for ethical hackers.
In this ever-advancing technological realm, we marvel at the visionaries who elevate everyday gadgets to extraordinary heights. Yet, in our tech-driven journey, it's essential to be mindful of safety and security. Just as we craft digital wonders, we must also guard against potential pitfalls.