Test/Review of USB meter: PortaPow Premium USB + DC Power Monitor

[hank]

As HKJ pointed out elsewhere, cheap USB cables can be a big source of resistance.

Not to mention, of course, that you can now buy cheap USB cables with chips in them that pwn your computer in 20 seconds unrecoverably.

USBdriveby just emulates a mouse and keyboard and abuses a computer’s willingness to trust as a device that identifies as a USB mouse or keyboard at face value. If you saw this going on in front of you, you would know something is up. BadUSB, on the other hand, is way more nefarious. It can do things like masquerade as a network device or embed itself in your friendly USB charging cable and then silently inject an invisible virus the next time your computer boots. Scary shit.

Hot links to more info at Watching a USB Hack in Action Makes Me Never Want to Leave My Computer

I wonder if we’re going to have to start X-raying our cables to determine whether they’re safe to use ….