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Some of you may already be aware of these. If so, then just consider this a reminder.
Friday, two different laptops for my work succumbed to USB Killer 'drives.' I was on my way back from a job that was cancelled when I was asked to head to a different job to assist, as the Event Manager's laptop wouldn't turn on. When I showed up, I set about getting the job downloaded over the VPN to my laptop and grabbed what I thought was a USB stick off of the table. When I put it into my laptop, I heard a "snap!" and my laptop was dead. It wouldn't turn on any more.
I figured it was probably a defective thumb drive and took it back to the office. I was a bit upset, so I took a hammer to it. The stick didn't break, as much as break open. When I looked inside, the markings on the PCB enlightened me as to what happened. It was marked "USB Killer V3.0FK, -215 VDC, High Voltage!"
A quick Google search and I discovered https://www.usbkill.com has these nasty little devices for sale. I was hit by the "Anonymous" model. It's an all-black version of the blue and silver thumb drives my work uses.
Be very careful of what you put in your laptop or connect to any of your electronic equipment. This nasty little device had several high-value capacitors and a coil to boost the 5VDC of the USB port to -215VDC. It then pulses that through the attached port until the device dies.
Friday, two different laptops for my work succumbed to USB Killer 'drives.' I was on my way back from a job that was cancelled when I was asked to head to a different job to assist, as the Event Manager's laptop wouldn't turn on. When I showed up, I set about getting the job downloaded over the VPN to my laptop and grabbed what I thought was a USB stick off of the table. When I put it into my laptop, I heard a "snap!" and my laptop was dead. It wouldn't turn on any more.
I figured it was probably a defective thumb drive and took it back to the office. I was a bit upset, so I took a hammer to it. The stick didn't break, as much as break open. When I looked inside, the markings on the PCB enlightened me as to what happened. It was marked "USB Killer V3.0FK, -215 VDC, High Voltage!"
A quick Google search and I discovered https://www.usbkill.com has these nasty little devices for sale. I was hit by the "Anonymous" model. It's an all-black version of the blue and silver thumb drives my work uses.
Be very careful of what you put in your laptop or connect to any of your electronic equipment. This nasty little device had several high-value capacitors and a coil to boost the 5VDC of the USB port to -215VDC. It then pulses that through the attached port until the device dies.