Comment on To USB, or not to USB

• NewOldGuard@lemmy.ml ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  There are tons of ways to exploit a computer via a flash drive like that. Lots of viruses exist that would immediately install themselves upon the drive getting recognized. Famously Iran has a nuclear power plant taken offline by a random flash drive somebody plugged in, but aside Deon state level threats they can also just steal your financial details and personal info

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  • ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    You can use a crap old PC with a fresh OS install, then wipe it. Or a DVD player if you only need the file list (those can usually only open JPGs, GIFs, MP3s, and MPGs or AVIs with one of the video codecs allowed on VCDs/DVDs).

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  • HugeNerd@lemmy.ca ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    So let me get this straight. You live in an average size North American city with a population of about a million. There have been billions, perhaps zillions of USB thumb drives manufactured over the decades. Every day there are thousands of potential situations where a completely normal and anonymous schmuck like you and me has the right conditions to drop a USB key. Maybe you had one in your backpack and it fell out. Maybe you have a hole in your pants. This can happen every day, in every city.

    So now you’re walking down the street and see a USB key on the ground, and your first thought is “IRAAAAAN!! THEY WANT TO STEAL THE $12.15 IN MY CHECKINGS ACCOUNT!!! BECAUSE THEY KNOW MY EVERY MOVEMENT AND LOCATION TO PLANT THIS LUDICROUSLY COMPLEX AND CONVULTED USB KEY APPROACH TO $12!!!”

    I suppose you watch the news and see a picture of a coronavirus and think “My God, it’s a WWII naval mine and IT’S COMING RIGHT AT MEEEEEEE!!!”

    You see a USB key on the ground, you pick it up and plug it in. The unvaccinated Russian larva can be sterilized by sunlight.

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    • NewOldGuard@lemmy.ml ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      It’s more akin to clicking on every ad you see on the web. Sure you might not get a virus from lots of them but the risk is real and it’s good practice to just not do that. It’s a real and frequently exploited attack vector, it’s just good practice for anybody with a semblance of concern about digital security

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