A USB device first circulated online as a prototype, designed by Russian researcher Dark Purple, was a USB stick that could essentially destroy sensitive components of a computer within seconds of being plugged in.
Now a Hong Kong-based technology manufacturer has developed and produced a USB drive called USB Kill 2.0 based on the prototype by Dark Purple, it is now available online at a cost of only $49.95/€49,95.
The USB killer is capable of permanently damaging any device containing a USB port, from Laptops to TV's, once plugged in, rendering the device useless.
How the USB Kill 2.0 functions
As stated by the company and demonstrated in the video below, when plugged in, the USB Kill 2.0 stick rapidly charges its capacitors via the USB power supply, and then discharges – all in a matter of seconds.When the USB stick is plugged into a device, it rapidly charges its capacitors from the USB power lines, then discharges 200 volts DC over the data lines of the host, and this cycle is repeated multiple times per a second until the USB stick is removed. The power surge then destroys the hardware of the host.
"When tested on computers, the device isn't designed or intended to erase data," the company says. "However, depending on the hardware configuration (SSD [solid-state drive] vs. platter HDD [hard disk drive]), the drive controllers may be damaged to the point that data retrieval is impractical."
"Any public facing USB port should be considered an attack vector," the company says in a news release. "In data security, these ports are often locked down to prevent extraction of data or infiltration of malware, but are very often unprotected against electrical attack."
What are the purposes for the USB Kill stick?
The USB Kill stick could be a tool used by a variety of people such as; cyber security firms, penetration testers, whistleblowers, journalists,
activists, and cyber criminals, who want to keep their
sensitive data secure from law enforcement, or cyber thieves, as well as intentional malicious damage to victims devices.
As noted above about the purposes of the USB kill stick, this could also pose threat and obscure criminal investigations, as criminals could discard any evidence against them from their devices before being retrieved by law enforcement.
However, the company producing this device claims to have developed USB Kill 2.0 stick for the
sole purpose of allowing security researchers to test their devices against USB power surge attacks.
They also claim it could be used to test and prevent data theft via "Juice Jacking" attacks, a type of attack where malware duplicates itself over USB connectivity.
They also claim that about 95% of all devices currently available on the market are vulnerable to these sorts of attacks via USB. However, most recent models of Apple's MacBook are noted to be resistant to these attacks, as they optically isolate data lines on USB ports.
It is noted on the company's website, that the USB stick "is a high-voltage device" and they "strongly condemn the malicious use of its products."
Along with the USB Kill 2.0, comes an optional USB Protection Shield device, called Test Shield, which is sold for additional $15.70/€13,95. The additional device is designed to allow testing of the USB Killer stick without destroying the host machine.
