Hackaday Podcast Ep 346: Melting Metal in the Microwave, Unlocking Car Brakes and Washing Machines, and a Series of Tubes
Nov 21, 2025
Discover the wild world of DIY hacks, from melting cast iron in the microwave to reverse engineering washing machines with infrared! Hear about the challenges of modern car braking systems and a tiny ESP32 dev board that defies expectations. Delve into history with WWII mapping secrets and marvel at an automated LEGO sorting machine. Plus, explore quirky applications of pennies and the fascinating history of pneumatic tube systems. It's a tech enthusiast's playground, full of surprises!
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Brute-Forcing A Washing Machine With An LED
- Severin taped a photodetector to the service LED and brute-forced startup codes while watching a CPU sync line.
- One timing difference revealed the correct passcode and allowed a full firmware dump over the LED.
Hidden Debug Interfaces Leak Deep Access
- Hidden diagnostic channels can expose full system control if you can observe subtle signals.
- Severin used IRDA and a timing attack to brute-force a washing machine's diagnostic passcode and dump firmware.
Use A Bidirectional Scan Tool For E-Brakes
- When a vehicle uses bidirectional electronic parking brakes, obtain a bi-directional scan tool to retract pads before service.
- Try low-cost tools like a $399 Harbor Freight scan tool before paying expensive subscriptions.