EkoParty 2026 Recap: A MIPS Router Talk, a CTF and a High Table in Buenos Aires

EkoParty 2026 took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 7 to 9, 2026. EkoParty is one of the largest and most respected information security conferences in Latin America. The VerSprite team was on the ground in Buenos Aires, where Security Consultant Matias Ramirez presented hardware hacking research on an Argentinian ISP router, and the team ran a capture-the-flag (CTF) challenge at a high table in place of a traditional booth.

EkoParty 2026 at a Glance

• Event: EkoParty Security Conference 2026
• Dates: October 7-9, 2026
• Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
• VerSprite talk: October 8, 2026, Hardware Hacking Space (Sala C3)
• Speaker: Matias Ramirez, Security Consultant, VerSprite
• VerSprite presence: High table and CTF challenge

What Is EkoParty and Why Does It Matter?

EkoParty is known for technical depth and a community that talks to each other. Researchers, pentesters, and security leaders from across the region come to share what they are breaking and building, which makes it a useful place to see where practical security work is heading. For a team that works on threat modeling, penetration testing, and security consulting, hearing those conversations firsthand is the main reason to attend.

What Did VerSprite Present at EkoParty 2026?

On Thursday, October 8, Matias Ramirez gave a talk in the Hardware Hacking Space (Sala C3) titled “Escapando de una Restricted Shell a los golpes: MIPS, Syscalls y Kernel Panics” (roughly, “Escaping a Restricted Shell the Hard Way: MIPS, Syscalls and Kernel Panics”). The research focused on an Argentinian ISP router. It followed the path from escaping a restricted shell through working with MIPS, syscalls, and more than a few kernel panics.

Why does restricted shell research matter?

A restricted shell limits what a user can run on a device. Routers and other embedded hardware often rely on one to keep users inside a narrow set of functions. Testing whether that restriction holds is a direct way to measure how well a device is hardened, because an escape can expose the operating system underneath.

Why does MIPS matter for router research?

MIPS is a processor architecture used widely in embedded networking hardware, including many consumer and ISP-provided routers. Analyzing firmware, writing exploits, and debugging crashes on these devices requires comfort with MIPS binaries, syscalls, and kernel behavior. Kernel panics are a normal part of that process, and often the clearest signal that a test has hit something interesting.

How Did the VerSprite CTF at EkoParty 2026 Work?

We ran a capture the flag challenge at our table during the conference. Congratulations to our winners: Oxguardians, provart, and Mortadela’s.

The scoreboard was not the most interesting part. People got stuck, compared notes with strangers, and kept going until something clicked, which is how much real security work happens.

Why a High Table Instead of a Booth?

We chose a high table because we wanted conversations, not queues. Attendees stopped to play the CTF, ask questions, and tell us what they are working on. That format made it easy for exchanges to start informally and continue well past the first question.

What We Took Away From EkoParty 2026

• Hands-on content draws the most engagement.
• Ideas for future work.
• New connections.

What Comes After EkoParty 2026?

We are bringing what we heard back to our consulting work and into the content we publish. For news on the next edition of the conference, follow the organizers at ekoparty.org.

Thank you to the EkoParty organizers, Red Team Space, the speakers, the volunteers, and everyone who stopped by our table.

Frequently Asked Questions