Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
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Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#2OP here. I literally just got released from 13 hours in a Swiss holding cell because this prototype looked like a bomb to the WEF police.
To get released, I had to walk a forensic expert ('Chris') through this codebase line-by-line. He didn't care about the pitch; he audited the Rust borrow checker logs, the specific hardware interrupts, and the encryption implementation to prove it wasn't a trigger mechanism.
It was the most aggressive code audit of my life. Happy to answer questions about the stack, the 'vibe coding' workflow I used to build it, or the Swiss prison lasagna."
Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#3So it wasn't really the firmware but the hardware that they thought looked suspicious and the fact that you placed a black box in a hotel restaurant and walked away. Especially suspicious since WEF guests were staying there.
Thread for those who don't have an account: https://xcancel.com/s_heyneman/status/2014519007244656652
Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#4No props. You can't do that. It looks like a bomb.
Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#5So it wasn't really the firmware but the hardware that they thought looked suspicious and the fact that you placed a black box in a hotel restaurant and walked away. Especially suspicious since WEF guests were staying there. Thread for those who don't have an account: https://xcancel.com/s_heyneman/status/2014519007244656652
Based on what this looks like, I don't really feel surprised at the outcome.
Based on what security is meant to do, Likewise.
Based on the lack of (apparent) self awareness of the author, I think I'd expect a little better of somebody using a device as a pitch-deck to the wealthy in a location of heightened security.
Is it security pantomime? yes. What did the OP expect? Is the OP really as naieve as they are saying? Was this not forseen/forseeable?
Being wise after the event means being wise. Does anyone else reading this think the OP was not wise?
Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#6If anything, the Swiss authorities should be commended for their effective and proportionate response.
Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#7So it wasn't really the firmware but the hardware that they thought looked suspicious and the fact that you placed a black box in a hotel restaurant and walked away. Especially suspicious since WEF guests were staying there. Thread for those who don't have an account: https://xcancel.com/s_heyneman/status/2014519007244656652
Based on what this looks like, I don't really feel surprised at the outcome. Based on what security is meant to do, Likewise. Based on the lack of (apparent) self awareness of the author, I think I'd expect a little better of somebody using a device as a pitch-deck to the wealthy in a location of heightened security. Is it security pantomime? yes. What did the OP expect? Is the OP really as naieve as they are saying?…
It's pretty straightforward, if it looks like a bomb, it gets treated like it might be a bomb.
If it looks like Osama bin Laden attending a War on Terror summit ... they'll wave it right through.
* https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jan/20/how-the...
Not an especially wise move if unintended, and a precarious risk if intended fpr the drama.
I'm thinking my personal best time getting grilled over a suspected security issue runs to 36 hours or so .. hard to tell in retrospect, the US TLA bods do like their blinken lights and screeching music to mess with peoples internal clocks.
Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#8No props. You can't do that. It looks like a bomb. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Mohamed_clock_incident
Fair point on the optics. In hindsight, clear casing would have been the smart play for 2026.
That said, the scrutiny shifted quickly from the 'black box' visual to the actual tech. It wasn't just a physical inspection; they brought in a forensic expert to audit the Rust borrow checker logs and interrupt handlers to verify the triggers were benign. It turned into a very technical interview, just with higher stakes.
Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Based on what this looks like, I don't really feel surprised at the outcome. Based on what security is meant to do, Likewise. Based on the lack of (apparent) self awareness of the author, I think I'd expect a little better of somebody using a device as a pitch-deck to the wealthy in a location of heightened security. Is it security pantomime? yes. What did the OP expect? Is the OP really as naieve as they are saying?…
It's pretty straightforward, if it looks like a bomb, it gets treated like it might be a bomb. If it looks like Osama bin Laden attending a War on Terror summit ... they'll wave it right through. * https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jan/20/how-the... Not an especially wise move if unintended, and a precarious risk if intended fpr the drama. I'm thinking my personal best time getting grilled over a suspecte…
36 hours? You win. I bow to the master.
You are absolutely right about the optics (and the blinkin' lights). The forensic expert made the same point—unintended drama is still drama. I definitely didn't aim for this (just wanted to demo the hardware), but once the process started, I had to respect the thoroughness. Their protocols are no joke.
Re: Show HN: The firmware that got me detained by Swiss Intelligence
#10If anything, the Swiss authorities should be commended for their effective and proportionate response.
100% agreed.
They were incredibly professional. Once we moved past the initial 'threat assessment' phase, the officers and the forensic expert were fair, logical, and treated me well. The system worked exactly as it should for a suspicious package in a high-security zone.