A problem identified in the USB standard may make for awkward social situations. Consider the following scenarios:
- You meet an acquaintance at the library. They ask if they can they use your laptop to charge their phone? Do you let them?
- Your Aunt hands you a USB key with photos for the family reunion slideshow. You haven’t seen her in years and aren’t sure how computer savvy she is. Do you open the files?
- Your children find a USB key in the school parking lot. Do you plug it in to see if you can learn who the owner is?
Security Researchers who discovered a flaw in the USB standard have now made the code public to raise awareness and force manufacturers to address the bug. Bad actors that did not have the code before will have it now. The flaw allows for a virus or malware to be installed just by connecting a USB device.
If you want to be sure your computer stays safe do not connect ANY device to your computer unless you know for certain it has not been tampered with.
More info, including a video demonstrating an attack:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29475566
