A proof-of-concept USB prototype that was designed by a Russian researcher, Dark Purple, last year, to effectively destroy sensitive components of a computer when plugged in.
Now, someone has actually created the Killer USB stick that destroys almost anything – such as Laptops, PCs, or televisions – it is plugged into.
A Hong Kong-based technology manufacturer is selling a USB thumb drive called USB Kill 2.0 that can fry any unauthorized computer it's plugged into by introducing a power surge via the USB port. It costs $49.95.
As the company explains, when plugged in, the USB Kill 2.0 stick rapidly charges its capacitors via the USB power supply, and then discharges – all in a matter of seconds.
The USB Kill 2.0 is a testing device created to test USB ports against power surge attacks. The USB Kill 2.0 tests your device's resistance against this attack.
The USB Kill collects power from the USB power lines (5V, 1 - 3A) until it reaches ~ -240V, upon which it discharges the stored voltage into the USB data lines.
This charge / discharge cycle is very rapid and happens multiple times per second.
The process of rapid discharging will continue while the device is plugged in, or the device can no longer discharge - that is, the circuit in the host machine is broken.
The USB Kill Tester Shield is a dual purpose device:
- It allows you to test your USB Kill 2.0 without damaging your host device.
- It prevents data theft via 'juice-jacking'
If you use a charger or USB port that is not your own - the device can steal your data while you are charging. Using a USB Kill Shield will prevent devices from having access to your data.
USB Kill Tester Shieldsold for additional $15.70, which is designed to allow testing of the USB Killer stick without destroying the host machine.
USB Kill stick could be a boon for whistleblowers, journalists, activists, and, not to forget, cyber criminals, who want to keep their sensitive data away from law enforcement as well as cyber thieves.
It is like, if you're caught, kill yourself. In the same fashion as terrorists do. Here I mean to kill the data from your laptop if the law enforcement has caught your laptop. And USB Kill stick does the same for you.
However, the company claims to have developed USB Kill 2.0 stick for the sole purpose of allowing companies to test their devices against USB Power Surge attacks and to prevent data theft via "Juice Jacking" attacks.
The company claims about 95% of all devices available on the market today are vulnerable to power surge attacks introduced via the USB port.
However, the only devices not vulnerable to USB kill attacks are recent models of Apple's MacBook, which optically isolate the data lines on USB ports.
Juice jacking is a type of cyber attack wherein malware installed on a computer can surreptitiously copy data from a smartphone, tablet or other computers using a USB charging port that doubles as a data connection, typically over USB.
While USB Kill 2.0 has been "designed and tested to be safe," the company warns that the USB stick "is a high-voltage device" and is only meant for "responsible adults." Also, the company's website "strongly condemns the malicious use of its products."
It is like, if you're caught, kill yourself. In the same fashion as terrorists do. Here I mean to kill the data from your laptop if the law enforcement has caught your laptop. And USB Kill stick does the same for you.
However, the company claims to have developed USB Kill 2.0 stick for the sole purpose of allowing companies to test their devices against USB Power Surge attacks and to prevent data theft via "Juice Jacking" attacks.
The company claims about 95% of all devices available on the market today are vulnerable to power surge attacks introduced via the USB port.
However, the only devices not vulnerable to USB kill attacks are recent models of Apple's MacBook, which optically isolate the data lines on USB ports.
Juice jacking is a type of cyber attack wherein malware installed on a computer can surreptitiously copy data from a smartphone, tablet or other computers using a USB charging port that doubles as a data connection, typically over USB.
While USB Kill 2.0 has been "designed and tested to be safe," the company warns that the USB stick "is a high-voltage device" and is only meant for "responsible adults." Also, the company's website "strongly condemns the malicious use of its products."
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