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USB drive explodes in journalists face
Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2023 8:20 pm
by Ironhide
As reported by the Agence France-Presse (via CBS News) on Tuesday, five Ecuadorian journalists have received USB drives in the mail from Quinsaloma. Each of the USB sticks was meant to explode when activated.
Upon receiving the drive, Lenin Artieda of the Ecuavisa TV station in Guayaquil inserted it into his computer, at which point it exploded. According to a police official who spoke with AFP, the journalist suffered mild hand and face injuries, and no one else was harmed.
According to police official Xavier Chango, the flash drive that went off had a 5-volt explosive charge and is thought to have used RDX. Also known as T4, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (PDF), militaries, including the US's, use RDX, which "can be used alone as a base charge for detonators or mixed with other explosives, such as TNT." Chango said it comes in capsules measuring about 1 cm, but only half of it was activated in the drive that Artieda plugged in, which likely saved him some harm.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/03/journalist-plugs-in-unknown-usb-drive-mailed-to-him-it-exploded-in-his-face/
Re: USB drive explodes in journalists face
Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2023 8:36 pm
by rinks
Re: USB drive explodes in journalists face
Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2023 8:54 pm
by Qikz
Honestly I'm surprised the journo plugged it in at all, that's a massive security risk so you should always get your IT department to check it. Let alone the fact it exploded.
At least they're ok but jeez that's scary.
Re: USB drive explodes in journalists face
Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2023 9:10 pm
by rinks
Qikz wrote:Honestly I'm surprised the journo plugged it in at all, that's a massive security risk so you should always get your IT department to check it.
Priorities might be slightly different for journalists in Ecuador. With the levels of corruption there, media outlet communications are likely to be monitored, so receiving files by USB stick would probably be quite common.
Re: USB drive explodes in journalists face
Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2023 10:10 pm
by Victor Mildew
Maybe they thought it was a usb drive through?
Re: USB drive explodes in journalists face
Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2023 10:13 pm
by Xeno
Effective pen testing.
Re: USB drive explodes in journalists face
Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2023 7:42 am
by Preezy
Qikz wrote:Honestly I'm surprised the journo plugged it in at all, that's a massive security risk so you should always get your IT department to check it.
Yeah man, let the nerds get their hands blown off instead.
