USB drive attacks pose a significant threat to cybersecurity, exploiting the widespread use of USB devices to deliver malware and evade traditional network security measures. These attacks can lead to data breaches, financial losses, and operational disruptions, resulting in long-term damage to an organization’s reputation. A notable example is the Stuxnet worm, discovered in 2010, which targeted industrial control systems, specifically Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. It leveraged multiple zero-day vulnerabilities and spread primarily through USB drives, making it one of the first cyberattacks with significant real-world physical consequences. Stuxnet highlighted the risks associated with removable media and raised global awareness of cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure.

How USB drive attacks propagate

Attackers employ various tactics to deliver malicious payloads via USB drives, targeting individuals and organizations. These methods include:

• Drop attacks: Infected USB drives are intentionally left in public areas, such as parking lots, to entice victims to plug them in and infect their computers.
• Mail-based attacks: USB drives are sent to targets via mail, disguised as promotional items or legitimate devices, to trick them into plugging them into their systems.
• Social engineering: Attackers use psychological tactics to persuade victims to connect infected USB drives to their computers.
• Unsolicited plugging: Attackers plug infected USB drives into unattended systems, spreading malware without victim interaction.

How USB drive attacks work

USB drive attacks typically follow a multi-step process to infiltrate systems and cause damage.

• Reconnaissance: Attackers research their target to identify potential vulnerabilities. This may involve gathering information about the organization, its employees, and its operational environment to determine the likelihood of someone using a USB drive.
• Weaponization: Threat actors prepare the USB drive by embedding malware. This can be achieved by directly infecting the drive or crafting a seemingly benign file, such as a document, video, or image, which contains hidden malicious code.
• Delivery: Attackers distribute the infected USB drive to targets by dropping it in public areas, giving it away as a promotional item, or using social engineering to deliver it.
• Exploitation: When the target connects to the USB drive, the malware is activated automatically or through user interaction, exploiting system vulnerabilities.
• Installation: The malware is installed on the target system, gaining persistence. This step allows the attacker to maintain control of the infected device even if it is rebooted or disconnected.
• Command and Control (C2): The malware communicates with the attacker’s server, enabling the attacker to issue commands, exfiltrate data, or deploy additional payloads.
• Actions on Objectives: The attackers achieve their goals, such as stealing sensitive data, deploying ransomware, or establishing persistent access for future exploitation.

Figure 1: Steps showing how USB Drive attacks work.

Enhance your cybersecurity posture against USB drive attacks with Wazuh

Wazuh is an open-source security platform that helps organizations detect and respond to security threats by monitoring system activities, from informational events to critical incidents. Organizations can proactively prevent breaches and safeguard sensitive data by monitoring USB activity with Wazuh.

Monitoring USB drive activities in Windows using Wazuh

Wazuh monitors USB drive activities on Windows endpoints using the Audit PNP Activity feature. This feature logs Plug and Play (PnP) events, which helps identify when USB drives are connected. It is available on Windows 10 Pro and Windows 11 Pro, Windows Server 2016, and later versions.

Organizations can configure Wazuh to detect specific system events and monitor USB-related events, particularly focusing on Windows event ID 6416, which indicates when an external device is connected. Security administrators can detect USB device connections by creating Wazuh custom rules to identify potential security incidents.

The next step includes creating a Constant Database (CDB) of permitted devices’ unique device identifiers (DeviceID). This list allows Wazuh to differentiate between authorized and unauthorized devices, generating alerts for both categories. For instance, when an authorized USB drive is plugged in, it triggers a lower-level alert, while unauthorized connections can generate high-severity alerts that indicate a potential security breach.

Figure 2: USB drive plug-in events on a monitored Windows endpoint.

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