Questions tagged [usb]

an industry standard used for connecting to and powering peripheral devices (keyboards, mice, cameras, printers, external hard drives, etc) from a computer or other USB capable device.

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How can I find out if a unwanted file I got on my USB Stick in the university lab is harmful? What do do now?

I'm using Ubuntu, I detected a file called "yveqsh93.exe" after plugging my USB into a heavily used Windows XP machine in one of the labs of my research group at university (Controlling some ...
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To prevent BadUSB attacks - can't you just block a connection to the specific vulnerable microcontrollers?

Since only a select amount of amount of microcontrollers in the USBs can be reprogrammed, isn't it just possible to block that certain kinds of microcontroller containing devices?
Sir Muffington's user avatar
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Aren't these "new" self-programmable gaming mouses a new security threat? [duplicate]

I have recently bought one of the recent "best" USB gaming mouses out there. The thing that is bothering that the marketing material says it contains a self-programmable computer embedded in ...
Sir Muffington's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
4k views

Can BadUSB be avoided by looking at the shapes and the controller model inside it?

I'm an average user. I don't take part or have any dangerous jobs. I know that there is no fixed solution for this type of attack. However, I think USB is still become common devices for average user. ...
John Mtenyolo Gunzra Jiyothi's user avatar
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2 answers
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I just found out about BadUSB. Should I worry about it although I bought my USB from official stores?

I want to prevent malicious program accessing my PC via USB. My thread is as follows: I'm just a regular citizen with a non-dangerous job. However I live in a country that didn't care about data ...
John Mtenyolo Gunzra Jiyothi's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
297 views

Can I view the format history of a usb key?

Is there a way to view when changes were made to a USB key, such as when the USB key was formatted and/or when some files were transferred? I have seen this previous stackexchange question File system ...
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Protect USB from reading by using PC identity

Is there any way (software or hardware solution) to create a usb drive that can make its contents readable only on specific PCs using their hardware serial numbers?
Abdeslem SMAHI's user avatar
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Can USB-C be restricted for display only (i.e. no data transfer)?

I want to allow users to connect their company mobile phones to company tablets for display only using USB-C. These are windows tablets. Is there anyway of restricting the USB-C to only allow display?...
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Can a Logitech wireless headphone usb receiver be infected?

Can USB dongles/wireless receivers get a virus from a computer that has been infected? I imagine it’s no more vulnerable than say a usb mouse is? But since these Logitech usb devices like your mouse ...
Ecotistician's user avatar
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Are Thunderbolt-enabled computers without Thunderbolt ports vulnerable to Thunderspy?

Could these two attack scenarios exploit the recently publicized vulnerability? Using a Thunderbolt adapter like an USB-to-Thunderbolt adapter on a computer without any Thunderbolt port Temporarily ...
mYnDstrEAm's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
757 views

Does the WP(Write Protect) pin of a USB flash memory controller prevent tampering with its firmware?

Does WP(Write Protect) pin of a USB flash memory controller prevent tampering with its firmware? I want to have an USB stick that I can make it read-only and insert it in any untrusted PC without ...
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Hide reverse shell window launched with HID attack

GOAL: the attacker insert into a victim's laptop an USB which act as a keyboard. The payload opens a terminal, executes a reverse shell and hides the terminal. PROBLEM: the tests I did locally (...
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Does this kind of USB "port knocking" exist?

For security reasons in public spaces administrators choose to disable the USB interfaces. Is there a possibility for having something like port knocking on disabled/sleeping USB interfaces? Port ...
Sir Muffington's user avatar
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1 answer
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Why do people warn of putting unknown USBs in your device [duplicate]

People keep saying never put a random USB in your device because it could ruin it with a virus. Hackers are able to program USBs to automatically run a virus when it is put in a device. So I decided ...
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3 answers
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How to check if USB device isn't malicious?

Let's say I've got a generic, cheap mouse. It's a USB-device. Any USB-device may contain memory, so how to know if the manufacturer didn't embed any memory with malware software in a device? (on ...
R S's user avatar
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1 answer
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Mobile Hotspot, Smartphone or Router?

I am using a laptop with dual boot Windows and Ubuntu. In addition, I am having another Linux distro installed on a usb thumb drive and using it only for certain things. Generally speaking - if ...
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USB 3.0 write protection switch question

I bought a USB 3.0 flash drive with a write protection switch for use with a Linux live distribution. My question is, once the OS is installed and running, I tested it and I can still install programs ...
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2 answers
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USB device security in Windows

Am I really understanding things correctly if I claim that: If a USB stick/device is inserted into a PC running Windows, currently in "lock screen" mode (that is, somebody has pressed WinKey + L), it ...
Blossie Wilson's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
2k views

Secure USB (unique identifier)

There is a requirement for an unattended, publicly-accessible machine that I have to only allow company-approved USB devices (e.g., USB mass storage, keyboard, mouse, Bluetooth, etc.,) and block all ...
David's user avatar
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How to analyze a USB device of having possibly malicious capabilities?

So I recently ordered a chinese external USB card and I would like to find out whether it has some hidden functionality, which might become malicious. It has buttons integrated in it so Linux using ...
Sir Muffington's user avatar
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Standards restricting bluetooth/usb access?

AFAIK in most OSes an app is given access to USB and Bluetooth and it's fairly blanket access. I believe maybe iOS now has per app Bluetooth access controls but if you give an app bluetooth access it ...
gman's user avatar
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Is there a safe way to use external display with USB Type-C laptops?

Somewhat related to Is malware or screen capture possible with iMac as external display?, where we investigate the possibility of a DMA attack through DisplayPort, nowadays, many machines don't even ...
cnst's user avatar
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1 vote
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What are the main attack vectors on USB storage drives on Windows 10?

I am trying to understand what generic risks are there in using my thumb drive to transfer files to some untrusted machine and plugging it back to my Windows device. Specifically I am interested in ...
kirilloffs's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
448 views

How do I know a USB Bluetooth Adapter is safe to use? [duplicate]

I've found several extremely cheap USB Bluetooth options and, while the reviews say they work, I am skeptical of them because they are so cheap/have no name brand recognition. Here is the main one I ...
John Smith's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
162 views

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 ...
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How do viruses transfer via USB?

I have had an encounter with the paint virus and I noticed it infects OS files in order to target .exe files(it changes an original .exe file to a hidden OS file and renames with a 'v' before the ...
linker's user avatar
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67 votes
8 answers
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Can a stolen Android phone with USB debugging enabled have screen lock bypassed?

My Android (8.0) phone was pickpocketed from me yesterday. It was immediately turned off by the thief and when I tried to locate it using Find My Device it shows as offline. As a programmer and a ...
gtbono's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
442 views

Risk of letting a complete stranger charge his smartphone on your laptop's USB port [duplicate]

How risky is to let someone connect a smartphone for charging it? Could someone intentionally or unintentionally contaminate a fully updated and patched Windows 10 or Ubuntu laptop?
Quora Feans's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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Preventing boot from USB on Dell Inspiron 5559

So what I am looking for is a way to prevent anyone from booting from a USB drive on this specific Dell Inspiron 5559. so normally what I would have to do is to set an Admin password in BIOS that ...
Mostafa's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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Can I use a text editor to detect keystroke injection?

Let's say for instance I have some USB devices I suspect of being programmed for to execute keystroke injection. If I were to load a live OS and switch it to runlevel 1, then logged into an ...
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What credentials does this hardware device steal?

I was reading about this device the author made, however he did not specify WHAT he was able to steal from a locked computer. What credentials does this steal? https://room362.com/post/2016/snagging-...
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How far can a malicious USB device get you on a server?

If the device is plugged in when the user is already logged in, then of course the device can just pretend to be a keyboard, open a terminal, and run a compromising command. (shortcuts for terminals ...
Soumya's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
227 views

Deactivate Linux Shell to prevent "blind" login on router

Today I analyzed my home router. I connected a keyboard to the router's USB port, which is usually used for mass storage devices. However, I pressed the key combination to reboot a Linux system from ...
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-2 votes
1 answer
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How can I check for a virus and malware on a USB drive using Ubuntu? [closed]

If I plug in a USB drive in to an Ubuntu (18) machine, is it possible to get a virus? How can I see if a (Windows, Mac or other) virus is on it? How can I format it to remove any virus?
B Seven's user avatar
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1 answer
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How to prevent USB Block Policy to be circumvented?

I know that I can disable USB devices using group policy for the computers of my company. What I want to achieve is allow users to use the USB port only for charging their phones, connect their mouse ...
elli's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
736 views

USB read only permission and antivirus

We would like to block write permissions to USB drives. We will allow user read-only permissions to the USB drive. By doing that, do we still allow the Antivirus to scan the USB drive and delete, if ...
Rokho's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
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How to make USB drive read only and write by a password or key or certificate?

I am trying to distribute a software, a simple exe file, that can be executed directly from an USB drive. I would like to make that USB drive read only to avoid any malware infection and accidental ...
Manny's user avatar
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3 answers
1k views

Are there tangible recommendations for USB drives to be disabled?

I am currently discussing / considering the possibility to disable access to USB drives (USB storage) on Windows machines. There are technical means to do this and I am trying to balance arguments ...
WoJ's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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Requiring hardware key at boot-up on normal laptop

I am sure that a question like this already exists and has probably been answered. I just couldn't find any results (probably due to my inability to word my question correctly). We use laptops at ...
RM101's user avatar
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2 votes
4 answers
2k views

Is it safe to plug my own USB drive into unknown pc?

Is it widely known that in the opposite way (an unknown USB to safe pc) it could be really dangerous. But I can't find any info if is it dangerous to put a drive to other pc. Case: I have my USB ...
Jakub Mosakowski's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
520 views

Consequences of trusting a PC from my iPhone

I just trusted my work PC (Windows 10) from my iPhone. I connected the phone via USB to charge it. I didn't open my iPhone 6 files from the PC. I didn't view any pictures and I unplugged it pretty ...
bobby reeece's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
526 views

Recovering data on unallocated space from FAT16 USB drive

I'm actually trying to make my hand around forensic and information security as a whole. To do this, I'm trying to make a lot of CTFs. The last one I got to do is puzzling me, 1st because I have no ...
Pete's user avatar
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32 votes
5 answers
11k views

How to safely wipe a USB flash drive [duplicate]

I want to wipe all residual data left behind even after a format on a regular 64GB fash drive, the ones someone can scan and recover data. What's the most efficient but quickest way to do this? Any ...
LtMuffin's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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Is it too late to encrypt my already used USB drive?

I've had my USB for quite a while now. It contains quite a lot of personal information on it. (I know, I'm stupid for not encrypting it before hand). Is it too late to encrypt my drive even if files ...
LtMuffin's user avatar
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9 votes
3 answers
5k views

Does connecting an android device via usb to a PC pose a risk if charging is selected?

If an android device has some something malicious on it that can also target/affect PCs. And that device is connected to a PC via USB, by default it automatically chooses to start charging. Is there ...
Mark's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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Bluetooth vs USB Mouse Security

I had a question regarding the use of Wireless mice and security. In general which method of using a wireless mouse is considered more secure, using a mouse with a USB dongle, or using a mouse that ...
GBBrian's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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Are there any known viruses/malware that can infect Ubuntu that come from the USB?

I know that most viruses that can infect the OS from having an infected USB inserted into the PC are mostly Windows only, but is there any possibility that there is one that can affect Ubuntu as well?
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2 votes
1 answer
767 views

How to mitigate the new malicious USB cable USBHarpoon (NOT BadUSB) threat in an enterprise? [duplicate]

In this case, the victims may think they are using a generic USB cable, but the PC will recognize the cable as a Human Interface Device, much like it would a mouse or keyboard, giving the attacker ...
Filipon's user avatar
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Need to make a USB device look like a keyboard

My company is implementing "BitLocker to Go" encryption to encrypt USB flash drives. However we us Barco USB wireless presentation devices. Each time one is plugged in, Bitlocker wants to encrypt it (...
Tim Hart's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
718 views

Can a wifi usb adapter double as a keylogger?

I've read that there are keylogger hardware and thought that usb wifi adapter are hardwares and wondered if they can be hacked to work as a keylogger. I'm just worried that my usb wifi adapter might ...
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