Use Same Mouse/Keyboard on Infected Comp and Non-Infected??

[=MGN=RedEagle]

Hi guys,

Is it safe to use the same keyboard and mouse on a virus infected computer as a non-infected computer?

Keyboards these days seem to come with built in software and thus must have a small amount of memory... right?

 

[Vincent]

Virusses only infect Software.

Mouses or keyboards have firmware, which shouldn't be affected by virusses. Only the programs that drive the firmware can be affected, but that doesn't affect the keyboard/mouse itself though.

 

[=MGN=RedEagle]

Thanks!

What are some of the big differences with firmware and software?

 

[Biker]

Virusses only infect Software.

Mouses or keyboards have firmware, which shouldn't be affected by virusses. Only the programs that drive the firmware can be affected, but that doesn't affect the keyboard/mouse itself though.

While rare, there IS malware out there that targets the firmware in certain keyboards. And once nailed, your entire system is at risk. There are also proof of concept viruses that can target your GPU and NIC.

 

[SilverCircle]

While rare, there IS malware out there that targets the firmware in certain keyboards. And once nailed, your entire system is at risk. There are also proof of concept viruses that can target your GPU and NIC.

+ the BIOS in some extreme cases, which is particularly nasty and incurable, unless you're an expert at such things since wiping out and re-installing everything wouldn't help a single bit.

Sadly, no more hardware BIOS write protection (aka BIOS-read-only jumper) on most modern mainboards, thanks to the general "we want everything as easy as possible and don't give a damn about security" crowd.

 

[ManagerJosh]

Virusses only infect Software.

Mouses or keyboards have firmware, which shouldn't be affected by virusses. Only the programs that drive the firmware can be affected, but that doesn't affect the keyboard/mouse itself though.

*shakes his head*...

See: http://pentest.netragard.com/2011/06/24/netragards-hacker-interface-device-hid/

 

[=MGN=RedEagle]

Ok so I have a computer with a whole bunch of viruses I was sent by people who do not love me . I keep them there and use them to test stuff like virus programs. Most of these viruses seem really simple things written for mass attacks on many people. I am almost 100% sure none of these are deliberately sent to me personally. Guess I should still buy a new mouse and keyboard for that computer right? 1 of them is targeted toward computers and like 5-7 are came via attacks on servers.

I am guessing I can use the same monitor though, right?

 

[Jesepi]

Don't worry about any of that. The only thing you should be cautious of is storage devices such as USB thumbdrives, SD cards or External HDDs. Anything that you can store files on could have something "bad" loaded onto it. Keyboards, mouse, speakers and monitors, iphone chargers and the like shouldn't be a point of concern.

 

[=MGN=RedEagle]

*shakes his head*...

See: http://pentest.netragard.com/2011/06/24/netragards-hacker-interface-device-hid/

That is an interesting one. I guess a similar thing could be done with a software update right?? I read that elsewhere.

 

[ManagerJosh]

That is an interesting one. I guess a similar thing could be done with a software update right?? I read that elsewhere.

Software update?

 

[Teapot]

If your keyboard or mouse is an all-singing, all-dancing programmable model - if it has onboard memory to store macros, settings, etcetera, and interfaces with the PC to update them - there's a very small chance someone might program a virus to cause havoc with it. However, it must be noted that the chances of this actually happening are akin to being struck by lightning while tap-dancing in space. If you're truly worried, get a different mouse/keyboard - ideally a non-programmable one. They're cheap enough that it's worth it for peace of mind alone.

I would say there's a line between cautious and paranoid, though, and worrying that a virus is going to infect your mouse, keyboard, monitor or other mostly-dumb input device, probably steps across it.

Do be careful of storage devices like hard drives, SD cards, and USB memory, though, they can hold nasties and there's plenty of examples of viruses that take advantage of this fact.