After around 5 years of doing penetration testing on web applications, mobile applications and IoT devices, I went into DevSecOps and started using my security knowledge to defend systems against some of the vulnerabilities that I was exploiting before. However, my passion for hacking and understanding attacks & vulnerabilities remained the same. Once a hacker, always a hacker. I also enjoy taking part in CTFs and making writeups to help others get into CTFs as well, trying to grow the local cyber-security communities and testing new, interesting software in my homelab.  

What are BadUSB attacks and how can you implement them?

In recent years, BadUSB attacks have gained notoriety, being utilized by some APT groups and even drawing warnings from institutions like the FBI. As media attention continues to rise, it is important to understand the mechanics behind these attacks. 

But what exactly are BadUSB attacks? BadUSB attacks leverage the inherent trust that we (and our computers!) place in USB devices, using that trust in order to seamlessly interact with systems. 

This presentation aims to demystify BadUSB attacks, providing attendees with some brief insights into what those attacks are, why do these attacks work, how do they look like and how likely they are. 

We will explore three different methods for implementing and using BadUSB attacks yourself, compare them and discuss their potential applications as part of red-team engagements. 

Drawing from my perssonal experiences, I will share some findings and lessons learned while working on this project: what were the unexpected challenges that I faced and what were the things that worked almost too well. 

Shifting to the defensive perspective, we are going to discuss some tips on how you can guard against BadUSB attacks personally or in your organization.