Can USB sticks catch viruses?

Anonymouse · 30-03-2011, 11:04

Something odd happened to my Samsung YP-U2R audio player - every folder showed up as a shortcut, the folders themselves being hidden and their attributes changed to Read Only and System. There was a file with a weird filename I didn't recognise, as well as what appeared to be a .DLL file. Oddly, though, it still worked and works as an audio player.

I've managed to sort it - I think. I've deleted the suspicious-looking files and backed everything up onto another USB stick, but the folders on the audio player are still Read Only and Hidden according to Windows.

adzii_nufc · 30-03-2011, 12:00

Yep, Lots of removable devices can contain viruses,

(USB devices, CD, Floppy etc.)

Welshchris · 30-03-2011, 12:11

Yep just run an Antivirus through it.

Web-Junkie · 30-03-2011, 18:24

USB sticks are susceptible to boot viruses as well as file infections just like normal drives.

I create a folder called autorun.inf on all my USB sticks and make them hidden so anything that tried to modify/create the normal autorun.inf file won't be able to use that to launch an autorun virus!

Halcyon · 30-03-2011, 22:07

Anything that can store data can have viruses on it.

**Stuart** · 30-03-2011, 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Web-Junkie

USB sticks are susceptible to boot viruses as well as file infections just like normal drives.

I create a folder called autorun.inf on all my USB sticks and make them hidden so anything that tried to modify/create the normal autorun.inf file won't be able to use that to launch an autorun virus!

I just disable autorun. That way it doesn't matter if anything creates and autorun file.

Windows 7 now only autoruns optical media (CDs, DVDs, Blu rays etc), but in my opinion, even that is too much. They should just disable it totally, and do what the Mac does.

Basically, OSX start the appropriate player software if your disk is a CD or DVD (not sure what it does with a Blu ray as I don't have access to any Macs with Blu Ray software), it starts the appropriate player. Beyond that, it does not do any form of Autorun, purely because of the threat of viruses.

Anonymouse · 31-03-2011, 12:57

Thanks, guys.

Things seem to be okay now - I managed to copy the contents of the folders to another stick, then deleted the originals and recopied them, so they're now showing as they should. I can't figure out where the damn thing came from, though, as I only use the stick in the library - the computers are very restricted there, understandably, and I never visit sites that are even slightly dodgy, so it's a bit of a puzzle. Oh well.

Web-Junkie · 31-03-2011, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart

I just disable autorun. That way it doesn't matter if anything creates and autorun file.

Windows 7 now only autoruns optical media (CDs, DVDs, Blu rays etc), but in my opinion, even that is too much. They should just disable it totally, and do what the Mac does.

Basically, OSX start the appropriate player software if your disk is a CD or DVD (not sure what it does with a Blu ray as I don't have access to any Macs with Blu Ray software), it starts the appropriate player. Beyond that, it does not do any form of Autorun, purely because of the threat of viruses.

That's OK for your own home PC but I use mine on clients PC's/laptops and you never know what surprises lie in wait when you plug your USB stick in. I tend to check them first before I do plug anything in but minimising the risk is always a good idea.

Mind you, you still have to be careful with USB sticks as I plugged my Corsair 16GB Flash Survivor into the back of a laptop today and forgot it was there then popped the front of the laptop up to flick on the wireless and now have a very snazzy 45° Corsair 16GB Flash Survivor