Elevator Hacking: From the Pit to the Penthouse
DeviantOllam9 HN recommenders · recommended in 7 months, 2014–2026
talk · general · evergreen · 2014–2026 on HN
Deviant Ollam's two-hour conference talk explains how elevators work, from the pit and buffers to the car top, controller logic and access-control features. It shows how this knowledge can be used for optimization and for bypassing building security.
HN commenters call it an absorbing, entertaining deep dive on elevator security and the go-to link whenever elevators come up.
Up next
3 mo on HNHoward Payne & Deviant Ollam - This Key is Your Key, This Key is My Key
DeviantOllam
3 HN recommender · 2017–2021
6 mo on HNDEF CON 22 - Zoz - Don't Fuck It Up!
DEFCONConference
3 HN recommender · 2016–2021
5 mo on HN2 1 1 Jason Scott Rescuing The Prince of Persia from the sands of time
Adrian Crenshaw
3 HN recommender · 2014–2026
1 mo on HNHow to Stop a Riot
Wendover Productions
1 HN recommend · 2018–2020
6 mo on HNDEF CON 22 - Deviant Ollam & Howard Payne - Elevator Hacking - From the Pit to the Penthouse
DEFCONConference
5 HN recommender · 2016–2026
3 mo on HNConsole Hacking 2016 (33c3)
media.ccc.de
4 HN recommender · 2017–2024
2 mo on HN[1147] Locksmith Says My Videos Are BS... Loses $75 (Maybe)
LockPickingLawyer
2 HN recommender · 2021–2022
9 mo on HNThis is how you treat ADHD based off science, Dr Russell Barkley part of 2012 Burnett Lecture
Adhd Videos
10 HN recommender · 2015–2025
11 mo on HNBehind the Scenes of iOS Security
Black Hat
9 HN recommender · 2016–2026
11 mo on HNWhy Electronic Voting Is Still A Bad Idea
Tom Scott
11 HN recommender · 2020–2026
10 mo on HNUSENIX Security '18-Q: Why Do Keynote Speakers Keep Suggesting That Improving Security Is Possible?
USENIX
10 HN recommender · 2018–2026
10 mo on HNDefcon 18 Changing threats to privacy Moxie Marlinspike Part
killab66661
6 HN recommender · 2012–2019
12 comments from Hacker News
If you feel like going down an elevator rabbithole, Deviant Ollam has quite a few talks/videos about all sorts of niche elevator stuff. My personal favorite: ▶ this video
If you're interested in elevators and the hacking thereof I would also highly recommend this talk: ▶ this video
I ran into ▶ this video (Elevator Hacking: From the Pit to the Penthouse) awhile back, and it was so interesting to me that I ended up watching the entire 2 hours in one sitting.
Deviant Ollam does another talk with elevator consultant Howard Payne just about elevator security which is fantastic. It's very similar to this one, but goes deeper into the single subject. There are a few versions on YouTube of various lengths, but here's the 2 hour version: ▶ this video
Yes. That's the shorter censored versoion. I recommend the full 2 hour version, with all the secrets: ▶ this video My second favourite talk: You spent all that money and your still got owned: link I even watch these again and again.
And watch this[0] entire (super entertaining) talk from Hope X about elevator security. You get a pretty good feal for how the safety measures work after watching it. [0] ▶ this video
SimTower started as elevator simulator, and was then turned into a game. Also, this is a great talk if you want to know more about elevators: ▶ this video
Relevant video discussing fire keys and other common keys: link And since this thread is about elevators, I have to also mention another video of theirs: ▶ this video
Deviant Ollam - The Hotel Room Gourmet link Also not 2018 but his elevator with Howard Payne talk: link (1h version) ▶ this video (2h version) And the search for the perfect door: link
It is perhaps more appropriate to say the button frequently does nothing because you frequently lack the proper permissions... ▶ this video
There was an elevator hacking talk that went into the buffers at the bottom of the elevator. You may have seen them in elevators that have glass on the outside of the shaft like in malls and hotels. The elevator never rests on those. Those are to take the impact of an elevator that crashes. Inspectors will often test the buffers as well as part of routine maintenance: ▶ this video
I don't know about subways, but elevators should never be a part of a building's security because they're so easy to hack[1]. [1]: ▶ this video