Linked Questions
12 questions linked to/from How can USB sticks be dangerous?
2
votes
2
answers
1k
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Is it safe to insert a USB drive of unknown origin? [duplicate]
I found a USB drive and I would like to check out the contents to see if there is any information that could allow me to identify and return to the owner.
However, I'm unsure of what is on the drive. ...
- 1,580
4
votes
3
answers
265
views
Is it dangerous to share a USB flashdrive? [duplicate]
Recently I've watched a movie "Blackhat" where just by inserting a USB flashdrive he could infect a host PC with some malicious program. Is it true that it's not safe to share USB flashdrives just ...
- 83
1
vote
1
answer
141
views
How can USB ports be dangerous? [duplicate]
I hear all this vague information about how USB ports are dangerous, because people can just stick in a stick with malware on it and Windows just happily runs it automatically, or something.
It's so ...
- 11
130
votes
11
answers
69k
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Is there any way to safely examine the contents of a USB memory stick?
Suppose I found a USB memory stick lying around, and wanted to examine its contents in an attempt to locate its rightful owner. Considering that USB sticks might actually be something altogether more ...
- 2,144
56
votes
9
answers
23k
views
How can empty USB sticks contain malware?
I read a BBC article about empty USB sticks containing malware:
Berlin-based researchers Karsten Nohl and Jakob Lell said a device
that appeared to be completely empty could still contain a virus....
- 1,074
51
votes
3
answers
12k
views
Can USB drive infect my PC with malware if I don't allow any autorun.inf to run?
Assuming that I'm using a trusted USB flash drive (meaning that it's not some device that looks like a USB drive and whose purpose is to damage my PC), is it possible for my PC to get infected from ...
- 614
25
votes
4
answers
56k
views
How can I reprogram a usb as a keyboard
One of my recent posts has lead me to find that you can reprogram a usb drive to appear as a keyboard to a computer. I would like to know how to do this I am currently on a power google trying to find ...
- 4,345
14
votes
2
answers
13k
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Attacks via physical access to USB (DMA...?)
I wonder if USB can be exploited by someone with physical access to a reasonably secured computer. For example a kiosk, or a laptop attached to a desk.
Obviously, the boot sequence should be secure (...
- 311
6
votes
3
answers
399
views
Is it safe to connect a random USB battery from a bin to my phone without stopping data transfer in some way?
I've asked the question Power-only USB connection to charge my phone - as simple as cutting the data lines? in electronics SE. In order to bypass the "Why do you want to do this?" request ...
- 1,415
4
votes
2
answers
271
views
How can kids transfer data to a school computer safely?
I have a primary-school-aged daughter who needs to bring a presentation to school. Classmates are bringing their presentations on a thumb drive, but I have some security concerns. (One, two, etc ...
- 141
4
votes
1
answer
448
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How to see what happens when a usb is inserted
After reading through this question about the dangers of untrusted usb drives, I was wondering if there was a way to actually see what happens when a usb drive is installed. Is it possible to say run ...
- 143
2
votes
1
answer
162
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Thunderbolt to HDMI connector freezes macbook, potential security risks? Time for a clean install? [closed]
I recently used a Thunderbolt to HDMI connector (ADAM 4K2K) casually given by a colleague who then left the country, misguidedly thinking "oh, it's a display adapter, not a USB, so it probably isn't ...
- 1,415