A security researcher has added another dimension to smart lightbulbs by using them to store a library of banned books, creating what they describe as a “cyberpunk digital dead drop.” Rick Osgood wrote about the idea behind the Banned Book Library on his personal blog, alongside a retelling of the process to create a working prototype. Meanwhile, all the code is open source and available via Codeberg. So, anyone interested can acquire some ESP32-powered smart lightbulbs and distribute stealthy banned book libraries of their own.
Osgood notes that he was pondering making smart lightbulbs more useful. As someone “interested in infosec, open-source software, making things, breaking things,” he found inspiration in Ben Brown’s short story of anti-corporate tech resistance, called ‘Library.’ After that lightbulb moment, Osgood knew he wanted to make a small, inexpensive, cyberpunk‑style digital dead drop, designed for resilience and stealth – by reprogramming smart lightbulbs.
