A USB drive has been created by a Russian hacker that will literally fry your computer in seconds if plugged into your USB port. So what is the full extent of the damage this can cause and what is the ultimate point of this creation?
WHAT DAMAGE WILL THIS CREATION CAUSE?
The Russian security researcher that created this ridiculous USB device is known by his code name Dark Purple. Dark Purple posted a video showing just what exactly his device will do. In the video he plugged his USB device into a computers USB port and within seconds the computer shut down and would not turn back on. What his USB stick does is it sends 220 volts of electricity through the signal line of the USB interface and it completely fries the motherboard of the PC. In a Russian-language blog post, Dark Purple mentions how this device will have the same effect on any device that has a USB port. In other words, TVs, routers, modems, and any other device with USB access will receive the same fate and completely fry. The only positive to this is that it will not install viruses, malware, or adware and it will most likely not damage the hard drive. So hackers around the world, if they got their hands on this, would not be able to steal any data from a computer, they would just be able to fry it. Dark Purple claims that as soon as the motherboard is replaced on the computer that it will be fully functional again.
WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS DEVICE?
So many are probably wondering why on earth this device was created and to be honest after hearing why it was created, I still wonder the same thing. Dark Purple writes that his goal is to test prototypes of devices that only perform one function and in this case the function is the destruction of computers. He also added on to that at the end of the blog post that he wrote his intentions. Dark Purple had this to say: “Yet another reason not to plug a USB stick of unknown origin into one of your computers.” (Dark Purple) So it is my interpretation that this device was created to prove that users should be careful on what they put into their computers. If that was the intent of this creation, then I think Dark Purple has succeeded in his creation. However, what happens if hackers get their hands on this? No data can be extracted from computers using this killer USB stick, but it can still cause serious problems as it will fry anything that it is plugged into within seconds. Hopefully this device does not get loose in the world.
