HOLLYWOOD, Md. — If it uses a USB port, this can disable any tech tools you have.
Once a proof-of-concept, USB Kill stick is a pocket-sized USB stick now fits in any security tester’s repertoire of tools and hacks, according to the Hong Kong based company who developed it.
This article reports when the USB Kill stick is plugged in, it rapidly charges its capacitors from the USB power supply, and then discharges in a matter of seconds.
On unprotected equipment, the device’s makers say it will ‘instantly and permanently disable unprotected hardware.’
If a device has an exposed USB port, such as a copy machine or an airline entertainment system, it can be used and abused by a hacker, malicious actor and electrical attacks.
“Any public facing USB port should be considered an attack vector,” says the company. “In data security, these ports are often locked down to prevent exfiltration of data, or infiltration of malware, but are very often unprotected against electrical attack.”
Not every device is vulnerable to a USB Kill attack. The device maker said that Apple ‘voluntarily’ protected its hardware.
USB Kill costs about $56 and a Test Shield, which allows users to test for an attack without blowing up their hardware, costs an additional $16.
You can also get port protectors at Amazon and other shops.