4 ms·

Yeah, this is known as BadUSB and can be used to infect even air-gapped systems. In high security systems (Banks, industrial facilities) USB devices should be c

Yeah, this is known as BadUSB and can be used to infect even air-gapped systems. In high security systems (Banks, industrial facilities) USB devices should be completely forbidden because of social engineering attacks. See stuxnet: http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/07/this-thumbdrive-hacks-computers-badusb-exploit-makes-devices-turn-evil/ http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/07/this-thumbdrive-hack...

upofadown 11y ago
Just a quibble; BadUSB is about hacking the firmware of USB devices. In this case the behaviour of of the USB device was intentional. It was a keyboard emulator that looked like a mass storage device. More of a hardware Trojan. Quibble2: stuxnet was thought to have been spread using a Windows Explorer exploit. Also not BadUSB...
mayoff 11y ago
In some shops, they fill the USB ports with glue. You can only use PS/2 keyboards and mice.
- pbhjpbhj 11y ago
  If they just removed the internal connections then they'd disable the USB ports but they'd also get notices of which staff were security risks / IT policy offenders (in the form of support requests "I plugged this USB drive in and ..."). Someone could hook up those ports with a new cable, but at that point they could also just open the case and bypass the glued port.
- Zuider 11y ago
  You can get PS/2 to USB adaptors which will at least allow you to use a USB keyboard. Probably not functionally the same as a USB port. Can't test this right now, but I wonder whether it would show up as a storage device if one plugged a USB drive into the adaptor?
  - kw71 11y ago
    No
  - Dylan16807 11y ago
    In general those adapters are mechanical, and the keyboard needs a PS/2 mode.
  - CiaranMcNulty 11y ago
    No, the intelligence is in the keyboard, which detects the adaptor is being used and falls back to sending PS/2 signals.
Lawtonfogle 11y ago
I would like to find some reasonably prices screamers to use. You plug them in, they charge an internal battery for a short time, and then they let out the loudest scream that is allowed by law. They are charged up so they continue to scream once unplugged. Put a few in different areas around work and wait for the magic to happen.
- jessaustin 11y ago
  This would be great fun when crossing a border into a nation that allows its agents to do bad things. Or when one has access to the coat or laptop bag of someone about to cross such a border.
- AUmrysh 11y ago
  I've been looking for a project to learn PCB design with... you may have just given me the perfect starting project with that ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
  - Lawtonfogle 11y ago
    For a more advanced one, have it yell curses instead. Or something really embarrassing/horrible.
    - leohutson 11y ago
      Porn sounds would probably work best.
  - bsder 11y ago
    Careful. This is a deeper rabbit hole than you think it is. Screamers are 100db+. To get that you have to drive a piezo at about 100V near it's maximum resonance point and engineer the case to create a resonant cavity. To generate that voltage, you're likely going to need an autotransformer. And nobody stocks these off the shelf--they're a custom order magnetics part. (If you find a better circuit topology or a place that stocks the appropriate autotransformer, do please let me know.) Of course, if you just want a wimpy beep, there's lots of options. :) But if you want something offensively loud, you're going to find that there is more engineering here than you think. It's a good project, but it isn't "easy". http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16855 http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16855 http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-an-Arduino-driven-Piezo-LOUD/ http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-an-Arduino-drive...

upofadown 11y ago

Just a quibble; BadUSB is about hacking the firmware of USB devices. In this case the behaviour of of the USB device was intentional. It was a keyboard emulator that looked like a mass storage device. More of a hardware Trojan. Quibble2: stuxnet was thought to have been spread using a Windows Explorer exploit. Also not BadUSB...

mayoff 11y ago

In some shops, they fill the USB ports with glue. You can only use PS/2 keyboards and mice.

pbhjpbhj 11y ago
If they just removed the internal connections then they'd disable the USB ports but they'd also get notices of which staff were security risks / IT policy offenders (in the form of support requests "I plugged this USB drive in and ..."). Someone could hook up those ports with a new cable, but at that point they could also just open the case and bypass the glued port.
Zuider 11y ago
You can get PS/2 to USB adaptors which will at least allow you to use a USB keyboard. Probably not functionally the same as a USB port. Can't test this right now, but I wonder whether it would show up as a storage device if one plugged a USB drive into the adaptor?
- kw71 11y ago
  No
- Dylan16807 11y ago
  In general those adapters are mechanical, and the keyboard needs a PS/2 mode.
- CiaranMcNulty 11y ago
  No, the intelligence is in the keyboard, which detects the adaptor is being used and falls back to sending PS/2 signals.

Lawtonfogle 11y ago

I would like to find some reasonably prices screamers to use. You plug them in, they charge an internal battery for a short time, and then they let out the loudest scream that is allowed by law. They are charged up so they continue to scream once unplugged. Put a few in different areas around work and wait for the magic to happen.

jessaustin 11y ago
This would be great fun when crossing a border into a nation that allows its agents to do bad things. Or when one has access to the coat or laptop bag of someone about to cross such a border.
AUmrysh 11y ago
I've been looking for a project to learn PCB design with... you may have just given me the perfect starting project with that ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
- Lawtonfogle 11y ago
  For a more advanced one, have it yell curses instead. Or something really embarrassing/horrible.
  - leohutson 11y ago
    Porn sounds would probably work best.
- bsder 11y ago
  Careful. This is a deeper rabbit hole than you think it is. Screamers are 100db+. To get that you have to drive a piezo at about 100V near it's maximum resonance point and engineer the case to create a resonant cavity. To generate that voltage, you're likely going to need an autotransformer. And nobody stocks these off the shelf--they're a custom order magnetics part. (If you find a better circuit topology or a place that stocks the appropriate autotransformer, do please let me know.) Of course, if you just want a wimpy beep, there's lots of options. :) But if you want something offensively loud, you're going to find that there is more engineering here than you think. It's a good project, but it isn't "easy". http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16855 http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=16855 http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-an-Arduino-driven-Piezo-LOUD/ http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-an-Arduino-drive...