Pen Drives

[burned703]

Hello!
I do hope I'm posting in the right forum.  Here is my question.  Pendrives are a storage device, correct?  Now we have to scan them as we should our normal HD, right? We save and if there is a virus or some malware hidding in the file, it won't execute, until you open that certain file or it's just there and infects all your other information on the pendrive? 
Wishing everyone who reads this, a lovely week. 

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Not sure what exactly you are asking....

Pendrives (or USB Keys, Flash Drives, Memory Sticks) are removable flash storage units. You can scan the flash drives if you want. It's not compulsory.


As for your malware question, what do you mean?
Depending on the virus, it could be an executable, hidden in another file, or set to autorun, just as any other virus would do on the internal hard disk.

[improbabilitist]

Not sure what exactly you are asking....

Pendrives (or USB Keys, Flash Drives, Memory Sticks) are removable flash storage units. You can scan the flash drives if you want. It's not compulsory.


As for your malware question, what do you mean?
Depending on the virus, it could be an executable, hidden in another file, or set to autorun, just as any other virus would do on the internal hard disk.

Can the autorun be triggered when inserting the USB device?

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

The autorun would be put into the root of the USB Flash Drive. Once the USB drive is plugged into the computer, the autorun is initiated and will do whatever it is programmed to do. Display extra options in the AutoPlay menu, run a hidden program, copy files, pretty much anything.

It is one way viruses and worms travel from computer to computer.

Don't be worried though. If you have an updated antivirus software, chances are you will be safe.
In all my travels, I have only encountered a similar virus once (The Kavo virus). It originated from my friend's laptop and worked its way to two of my USB Flash Drives, two desktop computers and one laptop, just by using one simple autorun.

[burned703]

  You have answered my question.  I knew that pen drives are not good a good thing to allowed to your PARTY!  Some wind up drunk(computer novats)  and mess up the FIESTA.

[macdad-]

Uh-oh...prankster.

[BC_Programmer]

I have autorun completely disabled for everything.

I've always hated it. When I stick in one of my backup CDs, I don't want to be greeted by a prompt  "what do you want to do" when I've already pushed windows key-E and am accessing the drive.

[macdad-]

That does bug me, usually I just leave my USB drives enabled for Autorun, since some of my VB.NET apps are programmed to pop-up on autorun.

[improbabilitist]

I have autorun completely disabled for everything.

I've always hated it. When I stick in one of my backup CDs, I don't want to be greeted by a prompt  "what do you want to do" when I've already pushed windows key-E and am accessing the drive.

I'd like to have that as well please, this link shows me how to disable USB drive autorun, but I guess it's a bigger security measure if it's disabled for everything of course.

[patio]

Actually the risk lies in leaving it turned on.

[BC_Programmer]

let's see... where did I find that...

ahh, yes...

change:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\NoDriveTypeAutorun, modify the value to "0xFF"

if you only want to disable certain kinds use one of these:

Value   Meaning
0x1         Disables AutoPlay on drives of unknown type
0x4         Disables AutoPlay on removable drives
0x8         Disables AutoPlay on fixed drives
0x10      Disables AutoPlay on network drives
0x20      Disables AutoPlay on CD-ROM drives
0x40      Disables AutoPlay on RAM disks
0x80      Disables AutoPlay on drives of unknown type
0xFF      Disables AutoPlay on all kinds of drives

[improbabilitist]

let's see... where did I find that...

ahh, yes...

change:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\NoDriveTypeAutorun, modify the value to "0xFF"

if you only want to disable certain kinds use one of these:

Value   Meaning
0x1         Disables AutoPlay on drives of unknown type
0x4         Disables AutoPlay on removable drives
0x8         Disables AutoPlay on fixed drives
0x10      Disables AutoPlay on network drives
0x20      Disables AutoPlay on CD-ROM drives
0x40      Disables AutoPlay on RAM disks
0x80      Disables AutoPlay on drives of unknown type
0xFF      Disables AutoPlay on all kinds of drives

wow, lots of drives.
thanks!

[burned703]

This is 4 sure some valuable information! Before reading this, I liked to disable the auto run as well.  Never know what could pop up when you least expect it.  It's really great to read all this HKey stuff.  Amazing how one links into another and they all have such a long command name.