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This shifty handmade USB drive is rigged to fry your computer

If you're a mischief-maker of a certain age, you'll remember the idea of the floppy disk bomb, a specially engineered floppy disk that would supposedly melt inside an enemy's drive. This USB is that same basic concept, but evolved. It's designed to electrocute your computer from the inside out.

An article about the bomb-drive, first posted on the Russian website Habrahabr.ru by its designer, describes its design and intended effect:
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.
The intention, roughly, is to fill a standard-looking USB case with hardware that will pulse a high-voltage charge into a USB port and just fry everything nearby. Luckily, the guy didn't go into details of how to make one. Either way, folks in the comments are saying they'd buy one in a heartbeat, and the author is actually considering a Kickstarter campaign or something of the sort.


Who knows how well would this actually work, but it should should still make everyone think twice before jamming a random USB into their laptops out of curiosity.

Posted by at 3:03 PM

22 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 4:50 PM

    Wouldn't this be defeated by a USB bridge?

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    1. Face Ghost Boast to RoastMarch 13, 2015 at 6:13 PM

      A powered USB Hub, yes.

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    2. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 4:36 AM

      Wouldn't this be defeated by unplugging the USB bridge?

      Delete
  2. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 5:36 PM

    great for the coming robot wars

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  3. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 5:41 PM

    It would have to supply enough charge energy to destroy the transient suppressor diodes that are present on all USB port data lines. Once those diodes were destroyed, there would be a short circuit on the data lines. Replacing the damaged diodes would likely bring the port back to life. This is a stupid project/idea.

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  4. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 6:09 PM

    "Luckily, the guy didn't go into details of how to make one"

    It's just a modified boost converter, there are tons of tutorials on them.

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    1. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 6:41 PM

      I was just thinking that, "isn't this... just a boost converter?"

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    2. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 8:55 PM

      Anyone who know what a boost converter is does not need the instructions to build this. However, if the instructions where available, anyone with a little disposable income and a bad attitude could solder up one of these puppies.

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    3. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 9:32 PM

      I'm that guy and now know what to look for, thanks! :^)

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    4. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 10:56 PM

      ... and do minimal damage.

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    5. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 2:40 AM

      I wouldn't mind having a shot at turning out several of these myself, I can think of quite a few people whose mischief making on the internet I would like to put to an end. Best bit is, that once it's fried their PC and they fuck off and get a new one, they'll put the stick in again and it'll all start over! The embuggerance of a lifetime :)

      Delete
    6. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 8:45 AM

      No they wouldn't do it again you dumbass.

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  5. AnonymousMarch 13, 2015 at 11:59 PM

    What's the problem with making this ? It might even be up for sale ? What's the problem ? Since when do you pick random usb sticks and plug to your pc ?
    Do you also just pick random stuff from the ground and put on your mouth ?

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    1. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 5:50 AM

      If you have a co worker who eats your food out of the communal fridge, so you poison some food and left it in there, you still murdered him. This is the same concept. You don't just leave one of these sitting around on accident without the intent to cause some trouble. There are very few highly improbable reasons to use one of these for real, and even then, there are better ways to handle the situations. It's just not practical for anything but harm.

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    2. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 1:15 PM

      That's the point, to cause harm.

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    3. AnonymousApril 1, 2015 at 7:12 PM

      There are some things like usb scavenger hunts using geocaching. Guess I'll never be doing those now.

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  6. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 2:38 AM

    .."look up boost converter"... got it.

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  7. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 2:56 AM

    I've fried a mobo before by somehow getting the USB drive in backwards. No doubt something like this would work great... but my method is a whole lot cheaper.

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  8. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 3:45 AM

    Would allow one to quickly burn the computer in the case of an emergency. I wonder if something could be built so it could guarantee the destruction of data on a hard drive... probably not.

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  9. AnonymousMarch 14, 2015 at 4:48 AM

    In dangerous countries like mine where your laptop could be stolen at any given time, I see a potential for this.

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  10. UnknownMarch 14, 2015 at 10:41 AM

    Would this render the hard drive unsalvageable? Great for pissing someone off, yes, but if the hard drive can be pulled and accessed still, it's less than desirable for say.. someone who wanted to fry their computer (hard drive and all) at a moment's notice. Or even fry someone elses completely.

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