FAQ

When can I buy one?

Not yet. Medusa is in bootstrap phase as of 2026-05-16. Hardware BOM is drafted, firmware scaffold isn't built. Watch the project board and the GitHub Releases page for the first hardware run announcement.

Is this legal?

Against networks you own or are authorized to test: yes, everywhere we know of. Against networks you don't: no, illegal in most jurisdictions. See Lawful use.

The firmware ships with an operator-side BSSID allow-list — the case won't transmit at access points you haven't listed. That's safety scaffolding, not legal cover.

Why ESP32-S3 and not Pi Zero 2 W?

The Pi Zero 2 W lane is a separate project — Nosferato. Medusa is the MCU branch for cases where you want pocketable + low-power + cheap + immediate boot. Nosferato is the SBC branch for cases where you want more capable + Linux + bigger storage. Both are HARTLE.TECH projects.

Why "Medusa"?

The Greek gorgon. Snake-hair becomes antennas. The petrifying gaze becomes passive RF reconnaissance (freezing the moment to inspect packets). Perseus killed her using a mirror — don't look directly at adversaries; look at their reflection in the medium. The mascot is a gorgon head with one prominent eye fixed on a screen of radio spectrum, snake-antennas fanning out.

Full brand brief: assets/brand/v1_brief.md.

Does it work with iPhone?

For now Medusa pairs with an Android phone running NearTrace as the companion. iOS isn't planned for v1. Future options: native iOS companion app, web-Bluetooth PWA, or USB-CDC export to desktop.

Why does the case have to look identifiable?

By design. The case has visible Medusa branding (mascot on back) so it's identifiable, not concealable. Per the threat model, discreet possession in spaces where pentest tooling would be flagged is a risk we mitigate via visible identification. If you want a stealth pentest tool, Medusa isn't it.

What does Medusa NOT do?

Read the out-of-scope table: no evil-twin, no captive-portal credential harvesting, no automated handshake brute-force, no GPS device-location tagging. These are deliberate scope decisions, not "future work."

Is the firmware closed-source?

No. Apache 2.0, source mirrors on GitHub. The build is reproducible. The only non-open binary in the build is Espressif's WiFi/PHY library (libnet80211.a, libpp.a, libphy.a) — same as every ESP-IDF project.

How do I report a security issue?

Email contact@hartle.tech with the subject prefix [medusa security]. PGP key on the hartle.tech site (once it's published). Coordinated-disclosure baseline: 90-day window, faster if widely exploited.

How do I support the project?

Donation channels coming as accounts are created (Liberapay, GitHub Sponsors, Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, Open Collective). You can also just star the repo, file good issues, and tell other security researchers about it.

Where's the rest of the docs?

The internal wiki (operator-side specifics, hardware BOM with supplier links, threat model, design notes, research write-ups) is at medusa.hartle.tech/wiki/ — tailnet-only. If you're on the HARTLE.TECH tailnet, you can read it. If not, the public docs you're reading now are what's available.