# twelvesec/PwnPad

PwnPad is an affordable, hands-on hardware hacking platform built for practical learning. It features a range of challenges that walk users through key hardware security concepts, from PCB design to side-channel attacks.

Repository: https://github.com/twelvesec/PwnPad
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/pwnpad
Language: C++
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2025-12-05T14:44:31+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 43/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 55, release rhythm 35, longevity 32
- inputs: {"age_days": 457, "days_push": 271, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1185, forks 111 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:54.909835+00:00)

## What it is
PwnPad is an open-source, affordable (under $20) hardware hacking learning platform with a series of hands-on challenges covering PCB design, soldering, serial protocols, firmware extraction, and side-channel attacks. It includes firmware, hardware schematics, challenge documentation, and a jumper-pin challenge selector so users can switch challenges without reflashing.

## Use cases
- learn hardware hacking from scratch
- practice UART SPI and I2C communication attacks
- extract firmware via ISP and EEPROM dumps
- learn voltage fault injection and side-channel attacks
- build an affordable hardware security training board
- teach embedded systems security in a classroom
- practice soldering and PCB manufacturing skills

## When to choose
- you want a structured, hands-on path into hardware security with no prior experience
- you need a low-cost hardware hacking lab for self-study or training
- you want open-source hardware with full schematics, BOM, and firmware you can rebuild yourself

## When to avoid
- you need a production-grade penetration testing tool rather than a learning platform
- you want software-only security challenges with no physical hardware
- you cannot source components or do basic soldering

## Facets
- artifact type: learning-resource
- maturity: active
- function: security, embedded, developer-tools
- domain: hardware, security, education, embedded-systems, tutorials
- platform: embedded, cross-platform
- tags: hardware-hacking, pcb-design, firmware-extraction, side-channel-attacks, uart, spi, i2c, voltage-fault-injection, ctf-challenges, arduino, open-hardware

## Member repositories
- twelvesec/PwnPad (main) score 43

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:54.909835+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:24:12.857759+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/twelvesec/PwnPad (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:54.909835+00:00, sha 046e20c84fc1)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.