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Jaz edited this page Aug 15, 2024 · 16 revisions

What is the CatSniffer?

The CatSniffer is a powerful and versatile tool for IoT hacking and wireless security research. It is a portable, battery-powered device that can be used to sniff and analyze packets from a variety of wireless protocols, including LoRa, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and WiFi.

How can I use CatSniffer?

CatSniffer requires two main steps: loading firmware to your board and running packet sniffing software. The process varies depending on your specific use case, but generally involves the following steps:

  1. Load the appropriate firmware to your CatSniffer board using tools like Arduino IDE or Python.
  2. Connect CatSniffer to your computer using USB.
  3. Run packet sniffing software such as SmartRF Packet Sniffer, Wireshark, pycatsniffer.py, or Sniffle.
  4. Configure the software to specify the protocol, frequency band, and other settings.
  5. Start capturing packets.

See this video about Getting Started with the CatSniffer 3.x

What are the features of the CatSniffer?

The CatSniffer has a number of features that make it ideal for IoT hacking and wireless security research, including:

  • Support for a wide range of wireless protocols
  • Ability to sniff and analyze packets in real time
  • Ability to capture and save packets for later analysis
  • Powerful filtering and analysis tools
  • Easy-to-use interface

What can I do with the CatSniffer?

The CatSniffer can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

  • Debugging IoT devices
  • Detecting security vulnerabilities in IoT networks
  • Conducting performance testing of IoT networks
  • Monitoring IoT traffic for malicious activity

What IoT protocols are supported by CatSniffer?

CatSniffer supports various IoT protocols, including Sub-GHz, LoRa/LoRaWAN, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, Thread, mioty, Wi-SUN, and Amazon Sidewalk.

How can I restore the CC1352 firmware on CatSniffer?

If you accidentally flash the wrong firmware or your board gets stuck, you can restore the CC1352 firmware using different methods:

  • Using a J-Link:

    • Materials needed: CatSniffer, J-Link Edu or J-Link PLUS Compact from SEGGER, ARM20-CTX cable, Tag-Connect TC20X0-CLIP.
    • Steps include installing J-Link, connecting cables, erasing the previous .hex file, and uploading the correct .hex file.

  • Using RP2040 (Raspberry Pico) for CatSniffer V3.x and newer:

    • Load the "free_dap_catsniffer.uf2" firmware onto the Raspberry Pi RP2040.
    • Install OPENOCD on your Windows computer.
    • Configure adapter speed, erase the CC1352 memory, and adjust chip address if needed.

How can I restore CC1352 firmware with RP2040 for CatSniffer V3?

This method is available for CatSniffer V3.x and newer. It only deletes the current firmware on the board, reenabling the bootloader for firmware loading using the Python tool. Steps include preparing the RP2040, loading the firmware, and using OPENOCD to erase the memory.

ERROR: Timeout waiting for ACK/NACK after Synch (0x55 0x55)

If you see this error when trying to load the python code, it means that your board is not in the bootloader.

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What if SmartRF Packet Sniffer 2 doesn't detect my board?

Many causes could be the responsible, here are some solutions:

  1. Check if CatSniffer is plug correctly, if not then unplug the board and reconnect to the PC.

  2. Be sure that the COM number it's the correct, if not then check on Device Manager and correct the port slected.

  3. Verify that the firmware Serial Passthrough was correct uploaded, if not then upload it again (See Serial Passthought).

  4. Check that the Baudrate value of CatSniffer and SmartRF Sniffer are the same and if not, follow the next steps:

  • On SmartRF Sniffer, go to Options > Serial Port Settings.

  • In the option Baud with the select box put the value that your CatSniffer has, in this case is 921600.

  • The software will scan again and detect the board. In this way baud value it's the same on CatSniifer and SmartRF Sniffer.

Why I got the error: unistd.h no such file or directory?

The cause of this error is that this file is for Linux OS, when you used Windows OS the system can not find this file and that's why this error appears. So don't worry, Zigbee2MQTT will work fine.

Why CatSniffer can not connect with Zigbee2MQTT?

This problem could exist for differents causes, here are some posible solutions:

  • Be sure that CatSniffer board were correctly connected to PC. Try unplug and plug in again.

  • Check that CatSniffer has uploaded the Serial Passthrough. If not try to upload again the firmware.

  • Verify that CatSniffer has the right COM number in configuration.yaml. If the COM number is wrong then change it by checking this value on Device Manager

  • Confirm that CC1352 chip has been flashed with CC1352P2_CC2652P_launchpad_coordinator_20210120.hex file. If it is not the case, flash the chip using the Flashing CC1352 section.

What does this button do?

CatSniffer-Bottons-01

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