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MagSpoof V4
Save a card's magstripe tracks over the Serial CLI and replay them wirelessly through MagSpoof's coil — on systems you're authorized to test.
Original price was: $18.00.$10.00Current price is: $10.00.
In stock
- External magstripe reader on a PC, then load over the CLI
- USB-C for power and the Serial CLI · SWD for programming
- Preloaded Serial CLI, auto-starts on power-up (v5.5.2.0)
- Web Serial Client in the browser, or PuTTY / Minicom
In the box
MagSpoof V4 board only
Not included
A case — not shipped with the board.
You also need
An external magnetic-stripe card reader (USB-connector or 4-wire header) connected to a PC to capture the track data — on V4 the reader does not wire to the board
A coil wired to the coil pins: unlike V5, V4 does not integrate the antenna into the PCB
A single-cell Li-Ion/LiPo battery, if you want to run it away from USB
A browser for the MagSpoof Web Serial Client, or a serial terminal (PuTTY on Windows, Minicom on Linux/macOS)
A card, reader or terminal you are authorized to test
A coil wired to the coil pins: unlike V5, V4 does not integrate the antenna into the PCB
A single-cell Li-Ion/LiPo battery, if you want to run it away from USB
A browser for the MagSpoof Web Serial Client, or a serial terminal (PuTTY on Windows, Minicom on Linux/macOS)
A card, reader or terminal you are authorized to test
- 114 GitHub Stars
- Designed and built in Aguascalientes, Mexico
- Hardware CERN-OHL v1.2 · firmware GPL-3.0
Audit a magstripe reader or POS terminal you are authorized to test
Situation: you have authorization to audit a POS or magstripe reader system. What you do: capture the test card’s track data with an external reader connected to a PC, load it onto MagSpoof V4 over the Serial CLI (s to save), then replay it with p1/p2/p through the coil wired to the board. Aim at Track 2 alone — it carries the PAN, expiration and service code — because MagSpoof transmits the tracks one after another and a terminal may only process the last one it receives. Result: the terminal accepts the emulated swipe as if a card had been swiped, which tells you whether that reader is vulnerable to spoofing — on hardware you are authorized to test.
Reflash or customize the firmware from the Arduino IDE
Situation: you want to modify the CLI firmware or load your own sketch onto MagSpoof V4. What you do: install the Arduino IDE with the CH55xDuino (WCH CH55x) board core on Windows, macOS or Linux — on Windows also the Zadig USB driver — short the JP1 pads while powering the board to enter bootloader mode, and upload the magspoof_V5.ino CLI firmware or your own build. Result: a V4 running the firmware you chose, with the same reprogramming process V5 uses.
Run a hands-on magstripe workshop or class
Situation: you are teaching magstripe security and want every participant on real hardware instead of slides. What you do: walk the group through the same four steps the project’s own tutorials use — set SW4 to VBUS or BATT and SW1 to ON, capture the track data of a card that is yours or that you are authorized to use for the exercise, decode the Format B fields (start sentinel, PAN, name, expiration, service code, discretionary data, end sentinel, LRC), then save and play the track back over the Serial CLI. Result: each participant has read, decoded and replayed a real magstripe track and understands the Track 1/2 structure well enough to reproduce it. The three published MagSpoof tutorials that cover this ground have drawn nearly 20,000 combined views.
Start in 10 minutes
- Set the power-source switch to VBUS (USB) or BATT (battery), then flip the ON/OFF switch to ON.
- Get the card’s track data: swipe it through an external magstripe reader connected to your PC and save it to a notes app — V4 has no reader input on the board.
- Identify and complete the Track 1 / Track 2 fields (start sentinel, PAN, name, expiration, service code, discretionary data, end sentinel, LRC) with the magstripe Format B structure — the wiki walks the fields one by one.
- Save and play the tracks over the Serial CLI (
sto save,p1/p2/pto play) from a serial terminal — PuTTY on Windows, Minicom on Linux/macOS — or from the browser with the MagSpoof Web Serial Client.
| Weight | 0.010 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 18 × 12.5 × 1 cm |
| Microcontroller | CH552G — enhanced E8051 core, MCS51 instruction set, up to 24 MHz |
| Memory | 1 KB xRAM · 256 B iRAM |
| Power | Single-cell Li-Ion/LiPo battery or USB-C · 3.3 V I/O (never apply more than 3.3 V to digital/analog pins) |
| Connectors & controls | USB-C · SWD pins · battery pins · coil pins · status LED · CHRG LED · ON/OFF switch · BATT/VBUS switch |
| Antenna / coil | External coil wired to dedicated coil pins (not integrated into the PCB) |
| Magstripe tracks | Track 1 and Track 2, Format B — transmitted sequentially, not simultaneously |
| Default firmware | Preloaded Serial CLI (magspoof_V5.ino), no code edits needed — auto-starts on power-up (h · s · p1/p2/p · l · d · e) |
| Latest firmware release | v5.5.2.0 (2024-07-16) |
| Programming | Arduino IDE — CH55xDuino (WCH CH55x MCS51) board core |
| OS support | Windows · macOS · Linux (Windows also needs the Zadig USB driver for bootloader mode) |
| Licenses | Firmware GNU AGPL v3.0 · Hardware CERN OHL v1.2 |
| Feature | MagSpoof V5 (current) | MagSpoof V4 | MagSpoof V3 (retired) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microcontroller | CH552G | CH552G | Atmel SAMD11 (32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+) |
| Antenna / coil | Integrated into the PCB (v5.0.0 refactor, smaller board) | Coil pins on the board | 24AWG magnet wire coil |
| Firmware | Serial CLI (magspoof_V5.ino) — read, save, play, no code edits | Serial CLI (magspoof_V5.ino) — no code edits | Standalone sketch (magspoofV3.ino) — tracks hard-coded in the source |
| Getting track data in | External reader wired to the on-board UART pins | External reader connected to a PC to capture the track first | Type the track into the Arduino source and upload |
| EEPROM programming access for tracks | Yes | Not listed as a feature | No CLI |
| Console commands from a smartphone | Yes, over USB-Serial | Not offered as a feature | No CLI |
| Bootloader mode | Short the JP1 pads (same process as V4) | Short the JP1 pads | Double-tap the RST button |
Does MagSpoof work over NFC or RFID (13.56 MHz or 125 kHz)?
No. MagSpoof does not use NFC or RFID at any frequency. It generates an electromagnetic field that standard magnetic stripe and credit card readers pick up wirelessly — the same thing a physical swipe does — with no NFC or RFID involved. MagSpoof V4 loads the track data over its Serial CLI and emulates it through the coil wired to its coil pins; the antenna is integrated into the PCB only from V5 on.
Do I need to know how to code?
Not on V4 or V5. Their firmware ships preloaded with a Serial CLI that auto-starts when you power the board: h for help, s to save, p1/p2/p to play, l to load from EEPROM, d and e to display RAM and EEPROM — driven from a serial terminal or the browser-based MagSpoof Web Serial Client, with no code edits. The older V3 standalone sketch is the exception: there the track data is hard-coded in the Arduino source before you upload it. If a firmware upload ever fails or bricks the board, WCHISP Tool V3.3 reprograms the CH552 directly.
What is the difference between MagSpoof V5 and MagSpoof V4?
V5 is the direct evolution of V4: same microcontroller, same reprogramming process. What V5 adds is the antenna coil integrated into the PCB with a smaller board (the v5.0.0 refactor), EEPROM programming access to store tracks, UART pins so an external reader can read a track straight onto the board, and console commands you can send from a smartphone over USB-Serial. The comparison table above has the row-by-row breakdown, including V3.
What am I allowed to use MagSpoof for?
Authorized security audits, and research or teaching on cards and readers that are yours or that you have permission to test. MagSpoof is a wireless penetration testing tool intended solely for use in authorized security audits, where such usage is permitted by applicable laws and regulations. The board provides no means or authorization to use credit cards or to engage in unauthorized financial transactions, and Electronic Cats holds no responsibility for unauthorized use.
