[CM] the USB killer now exists and is being mass-produced

[RS Wood]

From the «plug into your ass for bonus points» department:
Title: The 'USB Killer' Has Been Mass Produced -- Available Online For About $50
Author: ***@slashdot.org
Date: Fri, 02 Dec 2016 20:25:00 -0500
Link: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/hAudAdRP9oo/the-usb-killer-has-been-mass-produced----available-online-for-about-50

New submitter npslider writes: The "USB Killer," a USB stick that fries almost
everything that it is plugged into, has been mass produced -- available online
for about $50. Ars Technica first wrote about this diabolical device that looks
like a fairly humdrum memory stick a year ago. From the report: "The USB Killer
is shockingly simple in its operation. As soon as you plug it in, a DC-to-DC
converter starts drawing power from the host system and storing electricity in
its bank of capacitors (the square-shaped components). When the capacitors
reach a potential of -220V, the device dumps all of that electricity into the
USB data lines, most likely frying whatever is on the other end. If the host
doesn't just roll over and die, the USB stick does the charge-discharge process
again and again until it sizzles. Since the USB Killer has gone on sale, it has
been used to fry laptops (including an old ThinkPad and a brand new MacBook
Pro), an Xbox One, the new Google Pixel phone, and some cars (infotainment
units, rather than whole cars... for now). Notably, some devices fare better
than others, and there's a range of possible outcomes -- the USB Killer doesn't
just nuke everything completely." You can watch a video of EverythingApplePro
using the USB Killer to fry a variety of electronic devices. It looks like the
only real defense from the USB Killer is physically capping your ports.

[image 2][2][image 4][4][image 6][6]

Read more of this story[7] at Slashdot.
[image 8]

Links:
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[8]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/hAudAdRP9oo (image)

[Sylvia Else]

Post by RS Wood
Title: The 'USB Killer' Has Been Mass Produced -- Available Online For About $50
Date: Fri, 02 Dec 2016 20:25:00 -0500
Link: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/hAudAdRP9oo/the-usb-killer-has-been-mass-produced----available-online-for-about-50
New submitter npslider writes: The "USB Killer," a USB stick that fries almost
everything that it is plugged into, has been mass produced -- available online
for about $50. Ars Technica first wrote about this diabolical device that looks
like a fairly humdrum memory stick a year ago. From the report: "The USB Killer
is shockingly simple in its operation. As soon as you plug it in, a DC-to-DC
converter starts drawing power from the host system and storing electricity in
its bank of capacitors (the square-shaped components). When the capacitors
reach a potential of -220V, the device dumps all of that electricity into the
USB data lines, most likely frying whatever is on the other end. If the host
doesn't just roll over and die, the USB stick does the charge-discharge process
again and again until it sizzles. Since the USB Killer has gone on sale, it has
been used to fry laptops (including an old ThinkPad and a brand new MacBook
Pro), an Xbox One, the new Google Pixel phone, and some cars (infotainment
units, rather than whole cars... for now). Notably, some devices fare better
than others, and there's a range of possible outcomes -- the USB Killer doesn't
just nuke everything completely." You can watch a video of EverythingApplePro
using the USB Killer to fry a variety of electronic devices. It looks like the
only real defense from the USB Killer is physically capping your ports.

Or appropriately connect diodes to the data lines. If this device
becomes widespread enough, manufacturers will start doing that on new
hardware, particularly if people keep submitting warranty claims.

Sylvia.

[Andy Burns]

"The USB Killer is shockingly simple in its operation. As soon as you
plug it in, a DC-to-DC converter starts drawing power from the host
system and storing electricity in its bank of capacitors (the
square-shaped components). When the capacitors reach a potential of
-220V, the device dumps all of that electricity into the USB data
lines"

You could use a USB Condom (now known as a SyncStop) to isolate the data
pins, no doubt the USB Killer II will send the high voltage back on the
5V rail

<http://syncstop.com/#faq-original>

[Jim]

On Sat, 3 Dec 2016 16:36:36 +0000 (UTC), RS Wood

Post by RS Wood
Title: The 'USB Killer' Has Been Mass Produced -- Available Online For About $50
Date: Fri, 02 Dec 2016 20:25:00 -0500
Link: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/hAudAdRP9oo/the-usb-killer-has-been-mass-produced----available-online-for-about-50
New submitter npslider writes: The "USB Killer," a USB stick that fries almost
everything that it is plugged into, has been mass produced -- available online
for about $50. Ars Technica first wrote about this diabolical device that looks
like a fairly humdrum memory stick a year ago. From the report: "The USB Killer
is shockingly simple in its operation. As soon as you plug it in, a DC-to-DC
converter starts drawing power from the host system and storing electricity in
its bank of capacitors (the square-shaped components).

You won't get much of a capacitor in something the
size of a USB stick ...