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The 'USB Killer' Has Been Mass Produced -- Available Online For About $50 (arstechnica.com)
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.
This is why we can't have nice things.
Like the fact that you can find a USB port in planes, trains, bars, and various other places where you might need to charge up your phone?
Yup, not any more.
It really sucks that some people just like to watch the world burn.
He isn't draining anything, he's filling it even fuller with Olympic swimming pools worth of sludge. His Treasury Secretary is plucked straight from, drumroll please, Goldman Sachs. After all that time he spent complaining about the (((GLOBALIST ELITE BANKERS))) and whining about Hillary's speech to Goldman.
I'm going to enjoy watching his supporters slowly figure out they fell for a long con, got suckered bigly, and voted in the world's yuuuuugest huckster.
I doubt they'd have a hard time stretching it to over something like this. If you have a device who's only purpose is to destroy something and it goes and destroys something, well you are pretty likely to get in trouble for it.
Remember courts aren't operated by overly literal geeks who think if they can find some explanation, no matter how outlandish or unlikely, it'll be accepted. The law bases a lot around what is reasonable, and around intent. So your attempt at being cute won't work, and you'll be off to jail.
It also may very well be illegal just to have, or be made illegal if not. There are devices that are outlawed purely because they have no legit use. Many states ban burglary tools, which can include things like the cracked ceramic piece of a spark plug (the aluminum oxide ceramic breaks tempered glass easily). If they catch you and can prove intent, then you are in trouble just for having them with the intent to use them illegally.
Oh and don't think they have to read your mind or get a confession to prove intent. They usually just have to show that the circumstances surrounding the situation are enough to lead a reasonable person to believe that you were going to commit a crime.
And a post like this, would count for sure.
He isn't draining anything, he's filling it even fuller with Olympic swimming pools worth of sludge.
Bingo. The Trumpkins have been completely suckered, as you can see from the resumes of those in President-elect Donald Trump’s closest political circle so far:
Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin: Goldman Sachs.
Chief strategist Steve Bannon: Goldman Sachs.
Transition adviser Anthony Scaramucci: Goldman Sachs.
Commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross: Rothschild & Co.
Possible budget director Gary Cohn: Goldman Sachs.
Potential secretary of state Mitt Romney: Bain Capital.
And Trump is just getting started. Check out that “swamp draining!" Take that, Wall Street!
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
He's a racist, lying, idiot sack of shit, but he hasnt murdered a pregnant woman on live television, that we know of, so give him a chance!
This is just another way to vandalize stuff. I owned a far cheaper version of this 30 years ago. Its called a baseball bat. Before that, I had a tack-hammer. My ancestors had a version too, but they called it a "brick". Even earlier versions were called "rocks".
If we're lucky, cities will start passing ordinances to make mere possession of these a crime, since there is no legal purpose for these.
So the lesson here is don't plug in any strange or unknown USB sticks into your devices, and don't let anyone else plug any in either! I really can see no reason for such a destructive device to exist...except for some jackass to leave one some where and hope someone finds it and fries their computer or other devices.
'I'd argue that the device would be far more destructive if it pumped -12v instead of -240v since it would be able to output a lot more current.'
IANAEE, but as I understand it: high current can cause heat damage and possibly fires, but high voltage can jump lines and cause failure in more than just the circuit it was introduced to.
Both are potentially (no pun intended) very bad. But a high voltage spike will cause much more widespread damage in a very short span. This is why we treat static electricity (high voltage, low current) with such respect around electronics.
I'm all for things that go boom. I love weird, clever little gadgets. I admire a clever and subtle subversion of a system, even when I don't condone its use.
But geez; this thing is not exactly elegant. It uses a fairly basic circuit to exploit the completely unsurprising fact that the interface isn't designed to handle high voltages.
I'm with you on this one. All someone did was say "Gee, capacitors can hold large charge and dissipate it quickly so it will destroy a circuit whose design spec doesn't call for handling large voltages" and build a small device to do so. BFD. I can build a 120 or 210 power cord with a usb connector, plug it in a to the wall and a usb port; POW sparks fly as well. The "the interface and machines should have been deigned to prevent such an event" is ridiculous since no one expects someone to design a device to deliberate damage the port; and if you did try to do so why stop there? A screwdriver can also physically damage it so doe step spec require it to withstand such an attack? How about if I put my machine in a microwave? Or do we design it in such a way that it performs as intended and the expectation is it will be used in a reasonable manner?
Some people will no doubt think it's funny to use one on unsuspecting victims and when caught say "It's just a joke" and / or "The machine should have been designed not to let that happen;" and be surprised when they are hauled into court. Oh well, you can fix a fried device but you can't fix stupid.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
Accusing a federal judge of being unable to discharge his duties because he's Hispanic, and a member of the Hispanic Bar Association (one of hundreds of such affinity lawyers groups), manifestly is racist, as even Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was forced to admit.
Insofar as Islam, it is a sprawling religion consisting of 2.2 billion adherents, with many sub-ideologies. If you yourself have not apologized for the "Klan" (who call themselves Christian and "light" crosses as emblems of their WASP faith), then any broad brush attack on Muslims over the actions of al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda of Iraq (a.k.a. ISIS) is pure bigotry.
Bashing illegal immigration, while conspicuously being entirely unconcerned that Trump's own wife Melaina was clearly an illegal immigrant, is again not only a sign of hypocrisy, but one of racism. Because there is no legal difference between the two situations. Merely a skin color one.
The reason why people continue to call Trump racist is because he is. The reason why people call his supporters racist, is because there is hard evidence of racist attitudes taken from surveys of them.
The idea that a racist is going to suddenly vote for the party who opposes racism, instead of the Republican party that it has been proven benefits from it, if only people wouldn't point out their racism, is absurd.
Is that enough research for you?