🔍 ESP32 Marauder: A Compact, Wireless Cybersecurity Toolkit in Your Pocket

🎯 Project Objective

The aim of the project was to build a portable, lightweight, and discreet wireless hacking device that could:

• Scan for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices

• Perform deauthentication and beacon spam attacks

• Log GPS coordinates of discovered devices

• Serve as a real-time visual scanner via a built-in display

• Be remotely monitored or upgraded

Rather than relying solely on large laptops or Raspberry Pis, the ESP32 Marauder offered a wearable-level footprint with serious scanning capability — all powered by open-source firmware and a few lines of code.

🧰 Hardware Stack

The core of the project is built around the ESP32-WROOM-32 module. It features dual-core processing, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, and GPIO support for add-ons. I customized the hardware configuration with:

• 📟 1.3” SH1106 OLED Display: Displays real-time scan data, mode status, and device logs.

• 🧭 GY-GPS6MV2 GPS Module: Integrated using UART to enable location-based data capture.

• 🔋 Rechargeable LiPo Battery (1200mAh): Portable power with USB charging.

• 🔌 Onboard buttons for mode toggling (scanning, attacking, logging).

The entire device was compactly housed in a 3D-printed case for field-ready deployment.

🖥️ Firmware: ESP32 Marauder

The brain of the project is the open-source ESP32 Marauder firmware — originally developed by JustCallMeKoko. The firmware provides a full GUI menu navigable through buttons and OLED output, enabling you to select between tools for:

• WiFi scanning

• Beacon spamming

• Deauth attacks (when permitted)

• Bluetooth device scanning

• Packet sniffing

• Probe requests monitoring

• PMKID capture

The firmware was forked and customized to integrate GPS logging and OLED map tracing for offline review.

🛰️ GPS Integration

One of my key innovations was embedding a GPS module into the ESP32 Marauder setup. Using UART2 with a baud rate of 9600, I connected:

• GPS TX → ESP32 RX (GPIO26)

• GPS RX → ESP32 TX (GPIO27)

The firmware was modified to:

• Read NMEA sentences in real time

• Parse coordinates using TinyGPS++ library

• Store device scans alongside latitude and longitude

• Save logs in JSON/CSV format for later geospatial analysis

With this upgrade, the Marauder could track wireless access points and Bluetooth beacons by their physical locations — turning it into a powerful mapping tool.

🧪 Field Capabilities

In practice, the ESP32 Marauder functions like a miniature reconnaissance platform. Here’s what it can do in the field:

• 🔍 Scan: Detect all visible Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, identify signal strengths, and probe requests.

• ⚠️ Deauth: Disconnect clients from routers by sending spoofed deauthentication frames (only for ethical and permitted testing).

• 📶 Beacon Spam: Create dozens of fake Wi-Fi access points, simulating SSID floods.

• 🔐 PMKID Collection: Capture WPA/WPA2 handshakes for later offline brute-force analysis.

• 🗺️ Log with GPS: For every scan session, store the geolocation of discovered networks, useful for war driving or location-based audits.

📈 Visualization & Data Export

Post-scan data can be exported via USB serial or SD card (optional) and visualized using tools like:

• Kismet or Wireshark (after conversion)

• Google Earth/Maps (via KML file generation)

• Custom dashboards using Python & Folium for plotting geotagged Wi-Fi devices

This transforms the Marauder from just a scanner into a full-fledged intelligence-gathering unit.

🔐 Legal and Ethical Considerations

While the tool is capable of advanced features, it is strictly used for educational and ethical hacking purposes. I’ve integrated safety toggles in the firmware, and every offensive mode (like deauth) includes a warning screen and requires confirmation.

Additionally:

• All tests were conducted in isolated environments or with permission.

• GPS logging is used strictly for mapping and situational awareness — not surveillance.

🌍 Real-World Use Cases

Here are just a few ways the Marauder proved useful in my cybersecurity testing workflow:

• Wi-Fi Footprinting: Scanning public spaces to identify unsecured APs.

• Bluetooth Enumeration: Detecting rogue BLE beacons or IoT devices.

• Red Team Kits: Deploying as part of a pentest bag for passive info gathering.

• IoT Security Audits: Mapping smart devices during home/office vulnerability assessments.

• GPS-Logged Recon: Correlating attack surface with physical coordinates for later mapping and analysis.

🛠️ Challenges and Improvements

Like every embedded project, this one came with its hurdles:

• Limited memory for expanding logs and graphics.

• OLED flickering under heavy scanning modes.

• GPS signal loss in indoor environments.

• ESP32 instability during simultaneous Bluetooth + GPS + Wi-Fi usage.

Over time, I resolved these through firmware tweaks, selective mode switching, and external antennas for better reception.

🔧 Future Enhancements

There’s plenty of room to grow:

• Add SD card storage for larger logs.

• Enable MQTT-based remote control over Wi-Fi.

• Integrate motion sensors to trigger auto-scan when in motion.

• Build a companion mobile app for real-time log sync and alerts.

🏁 Final Thoughts

The ESP32 Marauder project redefines what’s possible with a $10 microcontroller and a few smart peripherals. It's a portable Swiss Army knife for ethical hackers, red teamers, and wireless researchers — all packed into a tiny device you can carry in your pocket. It demonstrates how open-source, community-driven innovation can empower individuals to understand, test, and ultimately secure the networks that surround us.

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