How does this work for usb typec? When I plug in my power cable will my computer shutdown?
Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
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Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#122How does this work for usb typec? When I plug in my power cable will my computer shutdown?
And does it work for things that look exactly like USBC but are actually Thunderbolt? (with all its direct memory access via DMA and all of that nastiness).
See the Apple combo USBC/Thunderbolt ports.
Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#123Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#124How does this work for usb typec? When I plug in my power cable will my computer shutdown?
It lists the ability to whitelist devices in the article.
Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#125What's stopping the forensic people from just spoofing the USB device IDs?
How do they get the IDs?
Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#126Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would imagine that's thermite and not termite ;) If the latter, the server would probably be okay, and it would take a very long time for the termites to damage the surrounding room enough to be a security deterrent.
Probably just a debugging technique.
or a bugging technique?
Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#127Interesting project, I'm sure this is useful for people at risk. Somewhat related, I'm wondering about the physical security of computers. There is an attack where they open your PC, take out the ram, and freeze it immediately so the bits don't decay and they can extract your encryption keys. All BIOSes have an option for cassis intrusion detection, but I've never seen a case that has the necessary cable. Has anybody…
> Interesting project, I'm sure this is useful for people at risk. Could you expound on what this means? In the USA/UK, people most "at risk" of police kicking down the door seizing their laptops/computers while they are still running are child pornographers. Perhaps this can be used "for good" under oppressive regimes (i.e. if you are a dissenting journalist) but then I think you won't get a fair trial anyway and ha…
I know a shocking amount of innocent people who have been target of surveilance and criminal investigations or who even had their homes raided - in western european countries. Thankfully the courts are still working as they should, and all but one were fully acquitted.
It can happen if you are a political activist in any fashion. Nothing violent, just speaking out for rent control and against gentrification can get you in trouble. Or hanging around with the wrong people.
When it happens, you want to leave them as little rope as possible to hang you with. As I said, the courts still are honest and they won't make up evidence, but they will take everything they can find to make a case - and to learn about your structures and networks while they are at it.
You are right, that in real oppressive regimes all bets are off. If they want to get you, they won't stop at their own laws. But even then, these techniques are useful against industrial espionage. If you are doing business in certain countries, the "evil maid" is quite real...
Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#128Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a somewhat pessimistic outlook on humanity, first off I would say that those who are most commonly at risk are those with trade secrets. Patented tech and investment intel for example. As for the dissenters, I’m sure they would appreciate their co-conspirators remain secret.
> This is a somewhat pessimistic outlook on humanity, first off I would say that those who are most commonly at risk are those with trade secrets. Patented tech and investment intel for example. Can you provide any evidence at all of police or "thugs" (or anyone, really) kicking down doors to get at trade secrets being a common problem? Because there are countless news articles of police raids seizing computers to st…
It is an absolute certainty that any tool to improve privacy and security is going to be used by malicious actors.
That does not mean it should be banned. Knives are used for many things from cutting food and opening boxes to killing people. Nitrate based fertilizers can be used for vastly improving crop yields but can also be used for bombs. Encryption can be used to protect your sensitive personal data from criminals and prying eyes, but can also be used by the criminals themselves to hide their activities.
No state (even if it was the most ethically illuminated utopia) has the power to protect every person in every place at every time. Banning defensive tools is asinine as rarely does it mean that a criminal won't use them against you.
Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#129Re: Usbkill – anti-forensic tool to halt computer when new USB device is connected
#130From going through the discussion I'm getting the impression that the only feasible attack vector provided by USB is by emulating a keyboard like a USB Rubber Ducky. Is this really the case? For instance, if my laptop is locked (with a proper[0][1] lock screen like xscreensaver) and that lock screen is capturing all keyboard input and magic SysRq keys[2] are disabled, too, is there really no way an attacker could use…
Besides keyloggers, another reason people want this is because law enforcement has USB keepalive devices that will simulate mouse movement/keypresses to keep your computer from going to sleep. They do this to make sure your computer stays on and your RAM doesn't get powered off, which will allow them to read any decrypted data in memory whether or not your data is encrypted on disk. When they raid you, they come with…
How will they replug my single PSU workstation to their UPS’?