The document discusses how USB devices contain hidden microcontrollers that can run malicious firmware. The firmware can be reversed engineered and patched to carry out attacks like diverting network traffic or emulating keyboard input. No effective defenses against USB attacks currently exist since the firmware is hidden and can be updated.

1. PRATHAP M
RAJA RATHINAM M
IRTT(ERODE)
BadUSB — On accessories that turn evil

2. USB devices include a micro-‐controller, hidden from the user
2
8051 CPU
Bootloader
USB controller
Controller
firmware
Mass storage
Flash
The only part
visible to the user

3. USB devices are initialized in several steps
Power-‐on+
Firmware init
Load driver
Register
Set address
Send descriptor
Set configuration
Normal operation
Optional: deregister
Register again …
Load another
driver
USB device
USB plug-‐and-‐play

4. Reversing and patching USB firmware
 Find leaked firmware
 Sniff update communication using Wireshark
 Replay custom SCSI commands used for
updates

5. Reverse-‐engineer firmware
 Load into disassembler
 Apply heuristics
 Find known USB bit fields such as descriptors
 Apply standard software reversing to find hooking
points

6. Patch firmware
 Find leaked firmware
 Sniff update communication using Wireshark
 Replay custom SCSI commands used for updates

7. Network traffic can be diverted by “DHCP on
USB”
Attack steps
1. USB stick spoofs
Ethernet adapter
2. Replies to DHCP query
with DNS server on the
Internet, but without
default gateway
Result
3. Internet traffic is still routed
through the normal Wi-‐Fi
connection
4. However, DNS queries are sent to
the USB-‐supplied server, enabling
redirection attacks
DNS assignment in
DHCP over spoofed
USB-‐Ethernet
adapter
All DNS
queries go to
attacker’s DNS
server

8. possible USB attacks is large
 Emulate keyboard
 Spoof network card
 USB boot-‐ sector virus
 Hide data on stick or HDD
 Rewrite data in-‐flight
 Update PC BIOS
 Spoof display

9. No effective defenses from USB attacks exist
 Scan peripheral firmware for malware
 Disable firmware updates in hardware

10. Thank you