USB Killer 2.0 - 220V
Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:12 pm
Just stumbled upon this via Slashdot: http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=18983
TLDR: USB stick drains 5V power from USB port in order to release a concentrated 220V burst back into the circuitry.
So, this particular attack could easily be circumvented by just disabling USB ports within the BIOS. (no power flowing - the killer stick won't be charged)
Disabling these ports seems to be a good idea anyway, considering the raise of DMA-based attacks like BadUSB and Firewires Inception.
As I know that Toughbooks tend to decouple ports from the mobo by means of daughterboards,
I cannot stop wondering if the cf19/31/u1 could survive with enabled USB / against a pre-charged killer stick.
What's your experience on electrical protection (fuses?) between mobo and daughterboards of fully rugged TBs?
Does the 461f emi/emp testing help in any way? (guess not)
BR,
Karl Klammer
TLDR: USB stick drains 5V power from USB port in order to release a concentrated 220V burst back into the circuitry.
So, this particular attack could easily be circumvented by just disabling USB ports within the BIOS. (no power flowing - the killer stick won't be charged)
Disabling these ports seems to be a good idea anyway, considering the raise of DMA-based attacks like BadUSB and Firewires Inception.
As I know that Toughbooks tend to decouple ports from the mobo by means of daughterboards,
I cannot stop wondering if the cf19/31/u1 could survive with enabled USB / against a pre-charged killer stick.
What's your experience on electrical protection (fuses?) between mobo and daughterboards of fully rugged TBs?
Does the 461f emi/emp testing help in any way? (guess not)
BR,
Karl Klammer