USB Switchblade Program

Oh what a concept, hiding a switchblade in a flash drive. However this switchblade is not a weapon of self defense it's more of a computer tool aimed at information gathering and penetration.

The USB switchblade is a flash drive with a specific purpose and payload in mind. Once plugged into your computer it silently goes to work collecting information in the background without anyone the wiser.

With the switchblade plugged in it runs without modifying the system and creates no network traffic allowing it to remain sneaky like a ninja sifting through your data. For the switchblade to work correctly you will need physical access to a machine running at least Win 2k, XP, or higher with administrative privileges. This can be tricky and may require some social engineering if you are attempting to gather information from another network.

This nasty or fantastic device depending on who you are will collect information such as LSA information, IP addresses, Password information and more and only requires a minute at best to do it. The Switchblade is also known to collect the SAM dump, Internet Passwords, Password hashes, Messenger passwords and more. All the collected information is then saved back to the USB drive in a specialized folder so all you have to do is unplug and go. No more having to search for files and doing drag and drop copies.

Be warned not all virus scanners will detect this device doing it's thing but some have been known to pick it up.

Now before some of you cry foul saying this article is promoting the use of hacking and other illegal activities remember information is power. I do not condone illegal hacking or information gathering but like all tools this one can serve as dual purpose. There are also preventive measures that can be enforced such as limiting the physical accesses to an administrative machine. Disabling auto-run features or plug and play features on your computer or networks. Enforcing strict network policies and making sure users understand those policies. Always remember an unsecured machine or network is a security risk waiting to happen.

This tool was originally designed by the community of http://www.hak5.org which is a fantastic site with a wealth information. There are several different types of payloads and information gathering techniques that can be implemented for the switchblade. You can find this information by simpling searching for it with your favorite search engine. If your a white hat hacker or black hat or in the security field or just plain curious check them out as I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Side Note: Windows has patched the security holes that allowed this program to run correctly but there are still variations that will generate the same result I am told.

As always thanks for reading.

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