For just a few bucks, you can buy a computer-destroying USB Stick!

[Guest]

Original article from ZDNet.

 

Quote

"For just a few bucks, you can pick up a USB stick that destroys almost anything that it's plugged into. Laptops, PCs, televisions, photo booths -- you name it."

 

 

http://www.zdnet.com/article/now-you-can-buy-a-usb-stick-that-destroys-laptops/

 

Oh, right, I have to say why it is important.  Well, anyone using Windows 10/PCs in general has a little bit more of a reason to store sensitive files in the cloud, external storage, etc.  And maybe know about ways to prevent something like this from happening.

 

Note: 

Quote

"Not every device is vulnerable to a USB Kill attack. The device maker said that Apple "voluntarily" protected its hardware."

 

Topic: Hardware hacks, physical hardware security.

 

Hopefully that's enough?

[byalexandr]

I want one, but that's expensive af.

 

Someone make a schematic for this pl0x

[James7176]

"Just a few bucks" $50+

[Mr.McMister]

I remember seeing this project over a year ago when they were just in the prototyping phase. I didn't understand then what it's target market as a product was then and am baffled at the marketing it as a tool for pen testers now. It doesn't compromise the target and potentially destroys accessibility of information on the target system. It's really only a tool for vandal pricks who think it's funny to destroy other people's/businesses' expensive hardware with accessible USB ports.

 

I understand the utility in developing a device such as this for informing companies of the potential dangers for hardware with exposed USB and thus the need for extra protections on said ports. They produce a circuit to implement these protections which I assume is their real target revenue stream, but selling the usb killer device just seems like a jerk move to force said issue with businesses by making it easily attainable by those not tech savvy enough to do it themselves. Considering it's easy for anyone else to implement a protection circuit to guard against this I still don't understand releasing the usb killer as product. I really only see it being picked up by a few high school - college age jerks who want to prank their peers and teachers by destroying their computers.

[Vode]

WTF man...

[drok]

i dont see a point of this except vandalism.

[Gravemind]

This is just going to be bought and abused by shitbags who will plug it into anything and everything they can.

Something like this should never be made.

[DildorTheDecent]

Can't see this being abused at all

 

Hong Kong is a silly place. 

 

[Mr.McMister]

2 minutes ago, Gravemind said:

This is just going to be bought and abused by shitbags who will plug it into anything and everything they can.

Something like this should never be made.

Making this readily available to those shitbags will force companies to implement protections in their devices and guess who sells some hardware to do just that.

[James7176]

1 minute ago, Mr.McMister said:

Making this readily available to those shitbags will force companies to implement protections in their devices and guess who sells some hardware to do just that.

Yeah but I'll give you one guess to the company that will be selling the prevention...

[suicidalfranco]

buying one and going to have fun at my local electronic store 

[potoooooooo]

2 minutes ago, suicidalfranco said:

buying one and going to have fun at my local electronic store 

Asshole

[suicidalfranco]

Just now, potoooooooo said:

Asshole

the best kind of hole

[Coaxialgamer]

Many boards actually  have static protection on usb ports , meaning you'd only fry a port or two . Nonetheless this is stupid

[Mr.McMister]

1 minute ago, Coaxialgamer said:

Many boards actually  have static protection on usb ports , meaning you'd only fry a port or two . Nonetheless this is stupid

You'd be surprised at how many don't, especially laptops(even expensive ones), and how many diodes that burn out closed allowing power to still go through.

[Coaxialgamer]

Just now, Mr.McMister said:

You'd be surprised at how many don't, especially laptops(even expensive ones), and how many diodes that burn out closed allowing power to still go through.

agreed . Many OEM's don't design their devices with electrical attacks in mind , and many don't make protections strong enough for this kind of attack

[Mr.McMister]

Looking deeper into their site the protection shield for this is actually relatively reasonable in price and use tech similar to a circuit breaker meaning after an attack you simply reset the device and things work again. That being said there is nothing proprietary or inherently patentable about it so anyone could produce one a bit cheaper and eat their market.

[alicskysareblue]

33 minutes ago, suicidalfranco said:

buying one and going to have fun at my local electronic store 

Yeah then fined for destruction of merchandise

 

Dont be a dick

 

P.s i know your joking but people may actually do this don't encourage it

[Prysin]

1 hour ago, byalexandr said:

I want one, but that's expensive af.

 

Someone make a schematic for this pl0x

basically just a capacitor that sucks up voltage from the + side then feeds it back down the ground wire, aka - side. This causes a "overflow" in the VRMs which arent designed to handle much of any voltage on the - side, and as a result they overcompensate that blow themselves up.

[byalexandr]

1 minute ago, Erik Sieghart said:

It won't brick computers like it's advertised to do, just cause some form of hardware damage, depending on where the port is located.

It's advertised tor fuck up the hardware. It's not supposed to do anything software wise.

[byalexandr]

Just now, Erik Sieghart said:

I mean it's not that scary of a thing, anyone with a wire and a battery could do the same thing. You don't even a battery, just out an outlet and a power cable.

Well it's different for this because it uses the power from the PC. What it does is charge up a cap with the 5V, and then release it all at once (like a cap does), so the circuitry in your PC is fried to a crisp.

[bob345]

The most this might do to a typical of is kill a usb controller. Most electronics nowadays have spark gaps built into the traces to protect against static and high voltage. There are much better and effective ways to destroy an electronic device than this.

[byalexandr]

12 minutes ago, Erik Sieghart said:

Right it has capacitors it uses to flood the device with power. Which will overload the port; it's not going to cascade throughout the entire system and circuits frying all of them. Just a few closest to the port.

No it gets pretty much everything.

[itsdeonLOL]

This would be useful to mess with people at Large LAN parties! LUL

[HalGameGuru]

This thing makes me feel nauseous. If I were to accidentally damage someone's property like that I would be appalled. To do it consciously, or maliciously? We're just gonna have to hope this kind of thing spurs manufacturers to build some failsafes into the circuitry in the future