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Shark Jack Cable — The Complete Guide

一句話定位：Shark Jack Cable 是 Shark Jack 的「長時間供電版」——改用 USB-C 供電，還多了一條專屬序列埠，偵察能跑好幾小時，而且不必抽卡就能直接開一個 live shell 看結果。

The classic Shark Jack is limited by its 10–15 minute battery. The Cable edition fixes the one thing that limited its predecessor: power. Run it off any USB-C power source (a laptop, a power bank, a charger) and it can maintain network recon for as long as you need.

The extra payoff is a dedicated USB-C serial console. On the classic Shark Jack you flip to arming mode, move the cable to a laptop, and SSH in. The Cable edition gives you a live shell over serial — you can watch a scan progress in real time, interact with payloads, and never remove the device from the network.

⚠️ Authorised testing only. Long-duration recon on a network you don't own is illegal. Use in your own lab.

Specs at a glance​

ItemSpecification
Attack interfaceFast Ethernet (RJ45)
PowerUSB-C (runs as long as power is supplied)
Extra vs classicDedicated USB-C serial console (live shell)
OSLinux, root shell, DuckyScript/Bash payloads
Default payloadnmap scan → /root/loot/
Arming address172.16.24.1 (over SSH)
Default credentialsroot / hak5shark
Official docshttps://docs.hak5.org/shark-jack

Classic vs Cable — what changed​

Shark JackShark Jack Cable
PowerBuilt-in battery (~10–15 min)USB-C (unlimited while powered)
Serial consoleNoYes — live shell over USB-C
RuntimeShort, on keychainLong, sustained engagements
Best forQuick, portable reconExtended monitoring + interactive work

Quickstart​

Step 1 — Connect it​

  1. Plug the USB-C side into a power source / your laptop — this both powers it and gives you the serial console.
  2. Plug the Ethernet side into the target network (your lab).

Step 2 — Choose a mode​

  • Attack mode: flip the switch; the default nmap payload runs and logs to /root/loot/.
  • Arming mode: flip to the other position; connect over serial and you get an immediate root shell.

Step 3 — Live shell over serial​

Unlike the classic, you don't need a separate SSH hop to see results. Connect the USB-C serial console and interact in real time:

# Typical: open the serial console (exact device depends on your OS)
screen /dev/ttyACM0 115200

Expected output — the device shell:

Welcome to Shark Jack (kernel 4.x.y)
#

Step 4 — Load payloads & grab loot​

From the shell:

cat /root/loot/scan/*.txt      # read scan results
UPDATE_PAYLOADS                 # sync community payload library

Expected output:

Nmap scan report for 192.168.1.20
PORT     STATE SERVICE
22/tcp   open  ssh
445/tcp  open  microsoft-ds

Commands from the serial console​

The Cable edition ships helpful shell commands (firmware 1.2.0+):

CommandWhat it does
HELPList all Shark Jack helpers and commands
ACTIVATE / ACTIVATE_PAYLOADRun the selected payload
LIST / LIST_PAYLOADSList the local payload library
UPDATE_PAYLOADSSync the library with the remote repo
UPDATE_FIRMWARECheck for and install firmware updates
SERIAL_WRITEWrite directly to the serial console
LEDConfigure the LED

Advanced​

CapabilityHow
Long-duration passive reconPowered by a power bank, monitor a network all day
Live payload developmentSerial shell → edit payload → ACTIVATE without re-cabling
Interactive nmapWatch scans stream to the serial console in real time
Exfiltration over networkPayloads push loot off over the Ethernet link
NETMODE controlDHCP client/server/bridge per payload

Troubleshooting​

SymptomCauseFix
Serial console shows nothingWrong serial speed / wrong device nodeUse the documented baud rate (115200) and correct /dev/tty*
No power / no serialUSB-C not connected properlyEnsure the USB-C carries both power and data
Ethernet link but no scanPayload missingRe-arm and UPDATE_PAYLOADS / place payload.sh
Can't read lootWrong pathLoot lives in /root/loot/ per payload