Did I brick my Proxmark3 Easy?

roasted · March 17, 2025, 2:22am

I purchased a Proxmark3 Easy 512KB, set everything up, and the device appeared to work perfectly. I was able to read a card I had on hand, and even generate an hf-iclass dump. Today, I plugged the device back into my computer, and… nothing. I can’t even get the Proxmark to show up under /dev anymore.

Details

Compiled Proxmark with the following simplified Makefile.platform:

PLATFORM=PM3GENERIC
PYTHON3_PKGCONFIG=python-3.11

Successful make commands:

make clean && make -j

After this, I went ahead with a firmware flash. While holding down the firmware flash button on my Proxmark3 Easy, I plugged it into my laptop (2021 MacBook Pro). LEDs lit up as expected and remained. Executed the flash command:

➜  proxmark3 git:(master) ./pm3-flash-all
[=] Session log /Users/<redacted>/.proxmark3/logs/log_20250316090806.txt
[+] About to use the following files:
[+]    /Users/<redacted>/Documents/Dev/proxmark3/client/../bootrom/obj/bootrom.elf
[+]    /Users/<redacted>/Documents/Dev/proxmark3/client/../armsrc/obj/fullimage.elf
[+] Loading ELF file /Users/<redacted>/Documents/Dev/proxmark3/client/../bootrom/obj/bootrom.elf
[+] ELF file version Iceman/master/v4.19552-445-gf31ee2633-suspect 2025-03-16 01:54:11 e0a0f51d4

[+] Loading ELF file /Users/<redacted>/Documents/Dev/proxmark3/client/../armsrc/obj/fullimage.elf
[+] ELF file version Iceman/master/v4.19552-445-gf31ee2633-suspect 2025-03-16 01:54:16 e0a0f51d4

[+] Waiting for Proxmark3 to appear on /dev/tty.usbmodemiceman1
 🕑  59 found
[=] Available memory on this board: 512K bytes

[=] Permitted flash range: 0x00100000-0x00180000
[+] Loading usable ELF segments:
[+]    0: V 0x00100000 P 0x00100000 (0x00000200->0x00000200) [R X] @0x94
[+]    1: V 0x00200000 P 0x00100200 (0x00000f4c->0x00000f4c) [R X] @0x298

[+] Loading usable ELF segments:
[+]    0: V 0x00102000 P 0x00102000 (0x0004fb5c->0x0004fb5c) [R X] @0x98
[+]    1: V 0x00200000 P 0x00151b5c (0x00001c73->0x00001c73) [R X] @0x4fbf8
[=] Note: Extending previous segment from 0x4fb5c to 0x517cf bytes

[+] Flashing...
[+] Writing segments for file: /Users/<redacted>/Documents/Dev/proxmark3/client/../bootrom/obj/bootrom.elf
[+]  0x00100000..0x001001ff [0x200 / 1 blocks]
. ok
[+]  0x00100200..0x0010114b [0xf4c / 8 blocks]
........ ok

[+] Writing segments for file: /Users/<redacted>/Documents/Dev/proxmark3/client/../armsrc/obj/fullimage.elf
[+]  0x00102000..0x001537ce [0x517cf / 652 blocks]
...................................................................
        @@@  @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@   @@@@@@  @@@  @@@
        @@! !@@      @@!      @@! @@! @@! @@!  @@@ @@!@!@@@
        !!@ !@!      @!!!:!   @!! !!@ @!@ @!@!@!@! @!@@!!@!
        !!: :!!      !!:      !!:     !!: !!:  !!! !!:  !!!
        :    :: :: : : :: :::  :      :    :   : : ::    : 
        .    .. .. . . .. ...  .      .    .   . . ..    . 
...................................................................
...................................................................
...................................................................
............... ok

[+] All done

[=] Have a nice day!

➜  proxmark3 git:(master)

Success.

After this, I was able to run ./pm3 without power-cycling the device, and everything seemed fine. But was my bootloader already ruined at this point?

This morning, after unplugging and reconnecting the Proxmark3 device, something is clearly wrong. When I try to start the pm3 program, it cannot detect my device:

./pm3
[=] Waiting for Proxmark3 to appear...

Attempting to flash the device, the exact same way that I did yesterday, fails for the same reason:

./pm3-flash-all
[=] Waiting for Proxmark3 to appear...

When I list connected devices with ls /dev, the list remains unchanged regardless of whether the Proxmark3 Easy is connected. This leads me to believe the Proxmark3 isn’t even booting. Is my device bricked?

I assume it is, and I’ve already purchased a replacement. However, I’d like to avoid bricking that one too. I can’t identify where I might have gone wrong, and I don’t think I flashed an incompatible bootloader, but admittedly my knowledge here is fairly limited, and maybe I’m missing something.

Any help would be appreciated.

Jammyjellyfish · March 17, 2025, 2:52am

There are two USB ports on the proxmark, did you try the other one?

roasted · March 17, 2025, 4:22am

Yes, I first tried the port that had been working for me last night, and then once that didn’t work, I tried the other port.

Jammyjellyfish · March 17, 2025, 4:35am

What distro?
Do you see it in ‘lsusb’?

Jammyjellyfish · March 17, 2025, 4:36am

Did you follow the install directions and disable modem manager?

roasted · March 17, 2025, 7:36am

I’m using a MacBook (and Mac OS), but yes I did follow the all of the instructions exactly according to the official github.

As another data point Windows 11 doesn’t detect it now either. I’ve tried usbipd and Device Manager on the Windows side, and lsusb on the Linux side.

All of the hardware and software are the same as before on my Mac host. The only things that have changed are the bootloader and the firmware on the Proxmark3 Easy, which I flashed (and which then proceeded to work for the next several hours and until I unplugged the device and went to bed).

I can still put the device into bootloader mode by holding down the button while pugging it in. This causes the red and green lights to stay on, but the device is still completely undetected by Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.

If I don’t put it in this mode when I plug it in, all LEDs turn on for a moment, then all turn off except for red and white, then red turns off too (leaving just the white LED on).

amal · March 17, 2025, 9:20am

Let’s start here… on Windows open Device Manager and then plug in the proxmark3 and see if Windows detects the COM port under the Ports section;

If so, the pm3 is not “dead” and there is maybe something else going on.
If not, what color are the LEDs (a photo would be great). Also, it should still be possible to revive it using “the button trick” and flashing the bootrom, then power cycling and flashing the firmware.

roasted · March 17, 2025, 7:10pm

Nope, it doesn’t appear in the Device Manager. I tried several times, with several cables, on several machines, using both ports.

Only the white LED persists when I plug it in, unless I enter into bootloader mode, in which case red, green, and white persist.

amal · March 17, 2025, 10:29pm

Ok so by holding the button down while you plug the cable in, does the device show up in device manager then?

roasted · March 18, 2025, 8:44am

I tapped it on my desk a few times pretty aggressively, and now it connects again

lol

amal · March 18, 2025, 4:26pm

I restored your post because I think this is an important data point… so clearly there was a USB data line connectivity problem. Extremely rare of course and your case was unique in that it worked and then it didn’t. Since we specifically re-solder the USB port to strengthen it (factory default units tend to rip off the board very easily), I’m interested in knowing if this was a port connector problem, a port pin soldering problem, or a cable problem… so please keep us updated if it continues to have issues.

amal · March 18, 2025, 4:35pm

Actually one question which makes all the difference… did you purchase it from us or elsewhere?

roasted · March 21, 2025, 5:34am

I’ve had it for a few years, and honestly don’t remember where I purchased it. I wouldn’t expect that it was a quality issue. Someone dropped the box I had stored it in down at least one flight of stairs.