Tools of trade Digispark ATTINY85

Eran Goldman-Malka · October 31, 2024

Disclaimer

The information provided in this post is intended for educational and research purposes only. It is not intended to encourage or condone any illegal activities. Hiring a hacker or engaging in any form of unauthorized access to computer systems is illegal and can result in severe legal consequences. It is crucial to always respect the law and refrain from participating in criminal activities.

Digispark ATTINY85 Micro USB Dev Board

The Digispark ATTINY85 Micro USB is a compact and low-cost microcontroller development board based on the Atmel ATTINY85 microcontroller. Its small size and USB interface make it well-suited for covert operations and embedded systems. The Digispark ATTINY85 can mimic any Human Interface Device (HID) HID attacks are dangerous in a few factors:

  • Stealth: Malicious HID devices often appear as legitimate peripherals like keyboards or mice, making them difficult to detect visually.
  • Direct System Access: They bypass traditional security measures like firewalls and antivirus software, as they operate at the hardware level, directly interacting with the operating system.
  • Speed and Precision: HID attacks can execute commands with incredible speed and accuracy, far exceeding human capabilities, making it difficult for them to stop in progress.
  • Diverse Capabilities: They can are used for a wide range of malicious activities, including: ..* Data Theft: Stealing sensitive information like passwords, credentials, and financial data. ..* Malware Installation: Installing malicious software without user interaction. ..* System Control: Gaining unauthorized control over the target system. ..* Data Destruction: Erasing or corrupting critical data.

Attack Scenarios

A red teamer can use the Digispark ATTINY85 to do some tricky things imposing as HID.

  1. Keylogger:
    • Scenario: A malicious actor inserts a USB keylogger into a target system. This device silently records all keystrokes, capturing sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, and confidential communications.
    • Impact: Data theft, identity theft, financial fraud.
  2. Malicious Keyboard:
    • Scenario: An attacker replaces a legitimate keyboard with a malicious one. This keyboard can inject malicious commands, such as opening backdoors, downloading malware, or executing arbitrary code.
    • Impact: System compromise, data loss, remote access.
  3. Mouse Manipulation:
    • Scenario: A malicious mouse can move the cursor and simulate clicks, allowing an attacker to manipulate the user interface. This could be used to bypass authentication, open malicious files, or transfer sensitive data.
    • Impact: Unauthorized access, data exfiltration, system disruption.
  4. Covert Channel:
    • Scenario: A malicious HID device can be used to establish a covert communication channel. By manipulating input events (e.g., keystrokes, mouse movements), the attacker can transmit data in a hidden manner.
    • Impact: Data exfiltration, command and control, bypassing network security.
  5. Physical Access Control Bypass:
    • Scenario: A malicious HID device can be used to emulate access cards or key fobs, granting unauthorized physical access to restricted areas.
    • Impact: Security breaches, theft, sabotage.
  6. Denial of Service (DoS):
    • Scenario: A malicious HID device can flood the system with spurious input events, such as rapid keystrokes or mouse movements, overwhelming the operating system and rendering it unresponsive.
    • Impact: System unavailability, loss of productivity, disruption of critical services.

Where can you get one ?

Digispark ATTINY85

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