It seems like something out of a tech-based thriller, but the USB computer killer is real and really can kill your computer. And this isn’t a virus we’re talking about — this is a USB drive that can physically ruin your computer by frying it from the inside. And all you have to do is stick it in a regular USB port like any other USB stick, and your computer will be destroyed in seconds.
The person who developed this killer USB stick goes only by the name Dark Purple, and they specifically cited that this device has one purpose: “The destruction of computers.” But it’s not limited to just computers; anything with a USB port can be fried from the inside by this unassuming little bugger. Here is a description for how it works:
Connecting to the USB port starts operation of the voltage converter, which charges the capacitor to 220V. By achieving this voltage converter is switched off and the stored up energy in the capacitor is supplied to the signal lines USB interface. After the capacitors discharge cycle is repeated.
That kind of voltage, which is the same as many household appliances like refrigerators, garbage disposals, and generators, is enough to destroy a motherboard in a matter of seconds. And it’s been designed to be the perfect stealth booby trap to physically incapacitate a machine. Ars Technica points out that it’s hard to tell how truly bad the damage is on the inside by going from Dark Purple’s video — for all we know, it could just be the USB port and the motherboard, which Dark Purple said he was replacing — but it’s definitely enough to render a computer useless.
But if they really want to impress us, do they have one that can destroy an entire network of computers and maybe the robots, too? Get back to work!
(via Ars Technica)