If you didn’t know this before, don’t plug an unknown USB drive into your computer… ever!
Threats hidden in a USB drive can include malware, fried computers, and now explosives. “Flash drive” takes on a new meaning…
…on Tuesday, five Ecuadorian journalists have received USB drives in the mail from Quinsaloma. Each of the USB sticks was meant to explode when activated.
Upon receiving the drive, Lenin Artieda of the Ecuavisa TV station in Guayaquil inserted it into his computer, at which point it exploded. According to a police official who spoke with AFP, the journalist suffered mild hand and face injuries, and no one else was harmed.
According to police official Xavier Chango, the flash drive that went off had a 5-volt explosive charge and is thought to have used RDX. Also known as T4, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (PDF), militaries, including the US’s, use RDX, which “can be used alone as a base charge for detonators or mixed with other explosives, such as TNT.” Chango said it comes in capsules measuring about 1 cm, but only half of it was activated in the drive that Artieda plugged in, which likely saved him some harm.
[Hak 5 considered exploding drives 4 years ago (YouTube)]
YouTube video: “Exploding flash drives, today on Hak 5…” May 2, 2018