If you’re in the habit of picking up random USB flash drives and plugging them into your computer, now would be a good time to stop. The mischievous Dark Purple has built a custom USB drive designed to fry any computer that it is plugged into.
From Dark Purple’s blog:
The basic idea of the USB drive is quite simple. When we connect it up to the USB port, an inverting DC/DC converter runs and charges capacitors to -110V. When the voltage is reached, the DC/DC is switched off. At the same time, the filed transistor opens. It is used to apply the -110V to signal lines of the USB interface. When the voltage on capacitors increases to -7V, the transistor closes and the DC/DC starts. The loop runs till everything possible is broken down. Those familiar with the electronics have already guessed why we use negative voltage here. I‘ll explain to others that negative voltage is easier to commutate, as we need the N-channel field resistor, which, unlike the P-channel one, can have larger current for the same dimensions.
In other words, the flash drive draws power from the system. When the power stored hits a certain threshold, it fires it back into the computer, sending an electronic surge across the motherboard and processor, frying any components it comes into contact with.
Thankfully, Dark Purple has not released schematics for the “USB Killer”, but it should still make you think twice next time you want to check out an unfamiliar flash drive.
why people will whant to create and use that king of thing except if they want to be a a$$ h0le who destroy people computer
If you find a lost USB drive and want to access that person’s personal files then you deserve to get your computer fried. There’s absolutely no reason to put a lost USB drive into your computer
Ever heard of finders keepers?
Yes, I have. Immoral assholes usually live by this saying
Except, you know, trying to find some of the person’s info and get the drive back to them.
There are other ways for doing that which won’t expose you to the other person’s personal files
how? If the info on the drive is personal it WILL be encrypted.
can anyone think of a way to detect this when it’s plugged in and instantly cut off it’s power demands?
People may debate over it’s purpose, but it’s nice to have a device capable of wiping out hardware in your fingertips. Guess I’m just power mad, but I’d still have one