http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/archive/2014/09/02/usb-firmware-an-upcoming-threat-for-home-and-enterprise-users.aspx

Presentation on BadUSB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuruzFqMgIw&list=UUJ6q9Ie29ajGqKApbLqfBOg

I highly recommend you guys to watch the presentation.

It is not exploiting the vulnerability of softwares on Windows or any other operating system.

These guys have showed some demo on how malicious USB can be. For more detailed do watch the video on Youtube if you are interested. The following are not the full content:

A USB can become a different USB device (Mass storage type to a keyboard type), downloading malicious software to your computer without detection by your antivirus software.
OR diverting your network traffic by "DHCP on USB" to the hacker's server, stealing your important passwords.

It is EXTREMELY easy to create a USB that steals your files and you will not even know it! I know very little about hacking and I could create one in less that 20 minutes. You should also not trust public WiFi because any password or info you type can be stolen with a program like Cane and Abel.

You kids and your advice, as though any of this was actually anything new.

The level of skid I see on this board is unsettling.

WOW I DID NOT KNOW THAT TECHNOLOGY IS EVIL IT WILL KILL YOU DIDNT YOU WATCH THE MATRIX

>>3 what do you mean by "the level of skid I see"? What does skid mean in these context?

It's a parody on 'script kiddie' as well as the fact that they're a stain.
http://www.haktuts.in/2015/10/how-to-easily-burn-pc-with-usb-device.html#0

cool!

So any advice from the knowledged seniors of dollars?

Well its true if u found the usb nowadays u can buy a usb password cracker for $30 my my recomendation is simply don't plug it in unless you know where it came from

>>8 Ask and ye shall receive

1) NEVER NEVER EVER plug in an unknown usb into a computer you care about. NEVER. EVER.

2) If you want to know what it does, the safest thing is to keep a disposable computer. What I mean by that is a computer you NEVER EVER EVER use to access anything personal. No facebook. No email ABSOLUTELY NO BANK ACCOUNTS. It's a computer just for doing potentially dangerous things.

3) If you can't afford a second computer, you can boot a Live OS (a temporary use OS that stores everything in RAM) so even if it's compromised your computer isn't. HOWEVER THIS IS NOT COMPLETELY SAFE. There is always the possibility of the USB key containing a BIOS rootkit or something like that, which will still affect your computer after booting back to the main OS. The odds of that are much lower, but don't take the risk if you don't have to.