Use a wireless mouse? This $15 hack could compromise your laptop


  1. Posts : 39,789
    Win 7 32, Win 7 64 Pro, Win 8.1 64 Pro, Win 10 64 Education Edition, Win 11 Pro
       #1

    Use a wireless mouse? This $15 hack could compromise your laptop


    What Bastille security researcher Marc Newlin discovered was this. If you can send out a wireless signal that pretends to be a wireless mouse, most wireless USB dongles will happily latch onto it -- no questions asked. Then, you can have that fake wireless mouse pretend to be a wireless keyboard -- and start controlling someone else's computer.

    With a laptop and a cheap wireless USB antenna called a Crazyradio, Newlin found he could do that from up to 200 meters away. Of course, you can't easily see someone's laptop screen from that far out, but that doesn't mean the hack isn't dangerous. A sequence of keyboard shortcuts is enough to wipe a hard drive -- or open a browser, navigate to a website, download malware and install it on a computer.
    Many of the dongles that come with mice and keyboards from Logitech, Microsoft, Amazon, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Gigabyte are at risk. Here's a list of the affected devices that Bastille has found so far.
    Use a wireless mouse? This $15 hack could compromise your laptop - CNET
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 5,442
    Windows 11 Home
       #2

    Great, my keyboard and mouse are vulnerable. Thankfully UAC with password prevents serious attacks.
    An attacker could remotely download malware, but without admin rights and scripting, he can not do much.
    I have seen some strange behaviour lately, a browser started by itself and other things like it, maybe it is related.

    EDIT: Thankfully Logitech provide firmware update, so users do not have to buy a new device like with other brands.
    But it is a bit complicated, they say to simply update it, but it does not work, the firmware update button is greyed out.

    Logitech Response to Unifying Receiver Research Fi... - Logitech Forums

    You have to download and install Unifying Software.

    Unifying Software - Logitech Support

    Then download the firmware update and run it (I put it into the same folder).
    (C:\Program Files\Common Files\LogiShrd\Unifying)

    http://logt.ly/0222

    Run the firmware (it shows nothing), then select Update Firmware on the receiver and you are done.

    Credit goes to: Re: "MOUSEJACK" Is the new firmware available yet... - Logitech Forums
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 2,662
    W10 Pro (desktop), W11 (laptop), W11Pro (tablet)
       #3

    Just one more reason I prefer Bluetooth mice/keyboards over the more plentiful wireless devices.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 436
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #4

    I can't even get a Microsoft mouse to talk to a dongle identical to the one it came with, so I have my doubts.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 13,896
    Win10 Version 22H2 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home
       #5

    nigelmercier said:
    I can't even get a Microsoft mouse to talk to a dongle identical to the one it came with, so I have my doubts.
    Other brands also don't work with a dongle that didn't come with a particular mouse, must be a frequency thing. I find that to be an issue or feature with the mice I have, always have to keep the dongle with the mouse.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 2,662
    W10 Pro (desktop), W11 (laptop), W11Pro (tablet)
       #6

    Berton said:
    Other brands also don't work with a dongle that didn't come with a particular mouse, must be a frequency thing. I find that to be an issue or feature with the mice I have, always have to keep the dongle with the mouse.
    Another plus for Bluetooth, since BT is a standard you can expect any mouse to work with any dongle (it may not though with particularly cheap dongles or mice). For the most part, I can use the same BT dongle with mice, keyboards, speakers, headphones, GPS receivers, etc...
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 6
    Windows 10 TH2 Lastest Build
       #7

    thank you
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 426
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit, 22H2 19045.3636
       #8

    I'm glad I found this. I guess I should check this forum once in a while.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 426
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit, 22H2 19045.3636
       #9

    nigelmercier said:
    I can't even get a Microsoft mouse to talk to a dongle identical to the one it came with, so I have my doubts.
    Berton said:
    Other brands also don't work with a dongle that didn't come with a particular mouse, must be a frequency thing. I find that to be an issue or feature with the mice I have, always have to keep the dongle with the mouse.
    I don't know much about wireless devices, but 2.4GHz equipment for RC models jumps from channel to channel according to some algorithm. Maybe something similar happens with the devices you're talking about.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,442
    Windows 11 Home
       #10
      My Computer


 

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