The "Pwn Phone" on 'Mr. Robot' is a Real Thing

The "Pwn Phone" device seen on 'Mr. Robot' turns out to be an IRL device made by a Boston-based startup.

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Complex Original

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This week's episode of Mr. Robot contained the show's usual share of twists and turns, as well as its famous attention to technical detail. Viewers may have noticed the show's protagonist Elliot Alderson executing a complicated hack with the help of a device called a Pwn Phone. Now, hackers and Mr. Robot diehards can imitate their favorite revolutionary by getting one of their own.

The Pwn Phone is a real-life product made by a Boston-based startup called Pwnie Express. The "dream device for hackers" allows users to check if there are any vulnerabilities in wired, wireless, or Bluetooth networks, and it looks like a regular cell phone. If you have a spare $1,095 sitting around, you can buy one here.

The company's CEO Paul Paget talked to Mashable about the device. 

"A lot of times if you’re trying to audit something and checking the facility, everybody gets a little suspicious," he explained. "This is like sending mystery shoppers around the store or what you see in Undercover Boss."

Paget said he was "thrilled" to have the device featured on the show "because they’re educating people on what can be done."

Tech-heads should note that what Elliot does with the Pwn Phone on the episode after he discovers a network vulnerability is extremely difficult. One website called it "the Mount Everest of hacks." So be aware—even owning the right equipment won't necessarily get you into fsociety.

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