Overview
- Some USB devices can pretend to be a keyboard or something else to do bad stuff
- Old features like autorun made things easier for attackers, but new tricks still exist
- Some attacks mess with firmware or even cause physical damage
- How to stay safe: Avoid random USBs
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USB Devices Can Pretend to Be Something Else
Some USB devices are not just storage. They can act like a keyboard or mouse. Your computer will trust it, because it just checks what the device says it is. So a malicious USB might say it is a keyboard, then start typing commands by itself. It can open apps, install malware, or change settings.
And the problem is your computer cannot really tell if those commands came from you or from the USB.
Old Autorun Made Things Worse
Back then, Windows had this thing called autorun.inf. When you plugged in a USB, it could auto-open files or apps. That made life easier but attackers used it to spread malware.
Most systems now do not use autorun anymore, but that does not mean you are safe. Some USBs hide scripts or take advantage of how icons and file previews work to run stuff without you clicking.
Firmware Attacks and Protocol Tricks
Some attacks go deeper. Instead of dropping malware files, the USB might mess with bugs in the firmware. Or it could send weird signals to confuse the system and run harmful code.
There was this well-known one called Stuxnet. It used this kind of trick to target big industrial systems. It came from a USB and messed with how machines worked.
Some USBs Can Physically Damage Your Computer
Not all attacks are about software. Some USBs are made to send high-voltage electric charges into your port. People call them killer USBs. They do not carry files at all. They just fry your computer’s internals like the ports or motherboard.
How to Protect Yourself
The easiest rule is this: Do not plug in USBs you do not trust. That random drive you found on the floor might not be safe. And even if it looks normal, it could be hiding something.
Conclusion
Harmful USBs are a real thing. They mess with how your computer sees devices, they attack firmware, and some even fry your hardware. So just be careful. Do not trust random USBs, turn on the security stuff your system has, and block what you are not using.
Source: Reddit
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