Comments for I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Comment from Joseph on 2011-03-15

2011-03-16T00:50:14Z

What about using a live CD on a computer without a hard drive, to look at a unknown flash drive? Could the computer still be infected?

As long as the Live CD is not running Windows (most do not) it's typically a safe way to examine possibly infected disks.

16-Mar-2011

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

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Comment from Mike on 2011-03-15

2011-03-16T00:16:42Z

Okay, I don't mean to flame here, but maybe that's what it is. What kind of people ask what happens if you push this red button marked Global Nuclear Destruction and then push it? Even 75 years ago, people laughed at The 3 Stooges for using a lit match to check the gasoline level in the tank.

Okay, I just read an item by Randy Cassingham about 4 idiots who heard a warning about the incoming tsunami and ran down to the beach to watch it! I'll be quiet now. No matter how smart you make the computer, it's still operated by a human being.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

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Comment from Mark J on 2011-03-15

2011-03-15T19:28:27Z

Before the Internet was available to the general public, the principal means of virus propagation was floppy disks. I think over half of the diskettes I checked contained viruses. Either the computers in your library are very old or they don't realize that diskettes can transfer viruses.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

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Comment from duane on 2011-03-15

2011-03-15T19:18:28Z

Our local library's computers have only floppy drives. No USB. I wonder if this article's premise is the reason. I would think the floppy is just as vulnerable to malware transfer.

I suspect that's just the age of the computers, but there was never an "auto-run" applied to floppies, so they are inherrently someone safer.

16-Mar-2011

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Snert on 2011-03-15

2011-03-15T18:54:02Z

I have an option where I can scan a thumbdrive with my malwere goodies before I open it.
Right click on it and try Properties.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Alex Dow on 2011-03-15

2011-03-15T18:50:52Z

To view this problem another way, does anyone know of a way of automatically running various protection programs on Flash Drives etc, when such devices are plugged in?

Recently, a college lecturer kindly gave my grand-daughter a Flash Drive to help with her studies.

It wrecked her Laptop and course work.

I took a look at the Flash Drive, it had two Trojans on it, plus a lot of personal files belonging to the lecturer - nothing to do with the study course.

And the college has a major IT/Computing Department!

A protection system kicking in on auto-detect and running appropriate software, would apparently at least reduce such occurrences.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

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Comment from Simon Clarke on 2011-03-15

2011-03-15T17:17:13Z

Panda Security do a free USB vaccination program which stops autorun on the computer and also prevents usbs from autorunning elsewhere.
http://research.pandasecurity.com/Panda-USB-and-AutoRun-Vaccine/

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Robert on 2011-03-15

2011-03-15T15:25:04Z

One other possibility Leo. It could be that the flash drive is a U2 running a cut down version of the OS which is why some of the stuff he runs won't run; i.e., not malware.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from realist on 2011-03-15

2011-03-15T15:24:54Z

At least Microsoft has finally partially recognised the problem. There's a fairly recent update that is supposed to disable autoplay for all drives except CDs and DVDs. Mine is disabled anyway, but that should be the default for ALL drives.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from kuhan on 2008-10-19

2008-10-20T01:32:34Z

Sir actually i m doing one software. It must be run the program from thumb drive .
so i dontknw the autorun file.inf

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Kim on 2008-09-30

2008-09-30T18:49:25Z

Some public libraries check out thumbdrives to their patrons. Apparently they don't always check to make sure the drive has been wiped clean by the previous user.
In my case the leftover files were benign to me, but the previous user probably wouldn't be too happy to know his resume and rehab history were left on it for anyone to see!

Moral: make sure the flash drive has been wiped clean before you use it OR return it.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Scott Wright on 2008-09-21

2008-09-22T03:34:16Z

Great article, Leo. There are some good questions and responses here. I just wanted to add my two cents worth.

It turns out that many people (about 40%) will put an unknown device into their computer, just to see what's on it. I have the evidence, which I have summarized at my site, The Honey Stick Project, at http://www.honeystickproject.com. The site was inspired by the penetration test you mentioned above, and is intended to raise awareness about the risks of using mobile devices, in general.

The technique I use in the project can be useful for measuring the level of security awareness and safe computing habits in an organization. Please drop by and give me your comments.

One other note: As indicated in one of the related article links above, it is possible for a device to be configured to trick a system into bypassing autorun, depending on your system. I have some notes about this on my site, also.

Fascinating site, Scott. Thanks!

- Leo
22-Sep-2008

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from tareq on 2008-07-13

2008-07-13T19:04:05Z

what is the future of pen drive

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Ken B on 2008-03-17

2008-03-17T17:09:21Z

To "Leo fan":

Of course malware can be launched from CDs and DVDs, if there is malware on the media.

Use your favorite search engine and look up "sony rootkit" for a rather infamous example.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

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Comment from Chris Buechler on 2008-03-15

2008-03-15T18:26:39Z

Thankfully Vista won't autorun anything without first prompting.

more info: http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/3732

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Carl R. Goodwin on 2008-03-14

2008-03-15T03:34:12Z

Why would ANYBODY put a USB thumbdrive anywhere NEAR their computer if they didn't know what was on it??? The scabs that write all these viruses LIVE for people like that!

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from 'Leo fan' on 2008-03-14

2008-03-15T03:03:38Z

Hi Leo,

Unfortunately this question didn't come early enough to put me on guard. What you're describing happened to me couple of weeks ago and gave me a Trojan Backdoor.win32.Rbot. Later I found the autorun file on my USB/Mp3. I'll try to disable autorun as you mentioned.

But CD-ROMS and DVDs are safe, aren't they? Malware can't launch from them... or am I mistaken?

Thanks

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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Comment from Dan Warrener on 2008-03-14

2008-03-15T01:33:08Z

Hey Leo,

That autorun article is great. But could you make one on how to disable autorun in Windows Vista for the Vista users.

Thanks Leo and keep up the great work.

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A comment on: I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work. What happened?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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