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[HOPE X] Elevator Hacking: From the Pit to the Penthouse

themarimbaincident
Talks
YouTube
4 HN users recommended this talk5 months2014–2023 score 7
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

HN commenters call it one of the most entertaining and informative con talks, and a good window into elevators from a hacker's view.

A HOPE X talk giving an in-depth explanation of how elevators work, from their history in hacker culture to using their control systems to bypass building security. It covers features and abilities of elevators that most people never see.

“This version is the best, with all details, no secrets withheld.” (HN, 2018)

4 strong recommendations · 1 recommendations · 2 citations · Talks · intermediate

7 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@alexggordon Nov 2014 Strongly recommends
on HN thread The Lives of Elevators (2008)
This reminds me of an excellent talk on elevator hacking [0] given by Deviant Ollam and Howard Payne at [HOPE X] a little while ago. It changed my entire view of elevators and if you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend you watch. it [0] [this video]
Changed commenter's view of elevators entirely.
@nyolfen Aug 2015 Strongly recommends
on HN thread Remembering When Driverless Elevators Drew Skepticism
this reminds me of a truly excellent HOPE X presentation about elevator hacking[0]. one of the most entertaining con panels i've seen, and interesting information on an esoteric topic. [0] [this video]
Entertaining panel on an esoteric topic.
@unixhero Aug 2016 Strongly recommends
on HN thread Demystifying the Secure Enclave Processor [pdf]
Does anyone know where the Blackhat 2016 videos will be posted? I've always found them incredibly educational. Okay I'll leave something behind as well. This is my favorite sec-conference video of all time: [HOPE X] Elevator Hacking: From the Pit to the Penthouse [this video] Closely followed by DEF CON 18 - Joseph McCray - You Spent All That Money and You Still Got Owned... [link]
Favorite sec-conference video of all time.
@unixhero Oct 2018 Strongly recommends
on HN thread Ask HN: What are some of the best technical talks you've heard?
Elevator Hacking: From The Pit To The Penthouse by Deviant Ollam and Howard Payne [this video] They've done several iterations of this, including a censored/shorter version for DEFCON 22. This version is the best, with all details, no secrets withheld. I find the content rather stunning, and I've even watched it several times.
Best, most detailed version of the elevator talk.

Citations, criticism and jokes

@Albuca Aug 2014 Cites it
on HN thread Earthquake early-warning system gave 10-second alert before Napa quake felt
I completely agree! A few seconds can certainly save one’s life. The main issue is how to broadcast this warning without suffering from any delay or latency... For example, elevators in areas prone to earthquakes have sensors installed that can detect the movement of the building [1]. If it sways too far it will automatically move the elevator (up or down) to get the car as far as possible from the heavy heavy counterweight - as there is the possibility that it could break free and smush the car. [1]Elevator Hacking: From the Pit to the Penthouse - [this video]
Elevator safety sensors detect building sway.

Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.

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