Does Kindle spread USB virus like USB flash drive?

[Kali Yuga]

Yes, USB drive viruses do exist.

No, you do not actually need to run a file for malware on a USB drive (or Kindle) to jump to your computer. You just have to plug it in.

Back in 2008, the DoD banned USB drives for this very reason. The story I heard is that "someone" (almost certainly Chinese spies) dropped a few USB drives in DoD parking lots. People picked them up, plugged them in to see whose drive it was, and got zapped.

That said, I don't see Kindles as being a particularly big risk, unless you're plugging your Kindle into a wide variety of computers. And you should always run antivirus software. Well, on Windows anyway.

[kranu]

Any virus that can spread through a flash drive can also be spread through the Kindle. The Kindle should be fine, though.

As others said, consider getting antivirus. I personally recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. It's rated one of the best AV software (but aren't they all), and best of all, it's complementary from Microsoft

[danwdoo]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Yes, USB drive viruses do exist.

No, you do not actually need to run a file for malware on a USB drive (or Kindle) to jump to your computer. You just have to plug it in.

This was true on XP until last week, but is not longer on a fully patched machine. If you do update Windows XP with the latest patches, then this will no longer happen. Even if you stick an infected drive into the computer and don't have AV installed (which isn't a good idea), it still won't spread the virus unless you manually run the infected file, and then it's all up to your AV software to protect you. This has also never been an issue on Windows 7 since auto-run has always been disabled on it and much less of an issue on Windows Vista.

[Richey79]

$150 for a reformat?!

I did this for my mother's laptop the other day. Took maybe two and a half hours on-and-off while watching television. If I need to reformat my desktop and reinstall all key programs, I've got the speed down to less than an hour (much faster hardware). Both cases were those cynical viruses you get these days: they prevent you from opening your antivirus program and block Firefox from opening any pages, forcing you to use Internet Explorer (presumably the exploit they are programmed with is designed to work with IE).

When someone gets one of these viruses, I always try system restore to an earlier time. It worked for me once. If this fails, I don't waste any more time, but just reinstall Windows. Many will disagree with this, but I no longer run an AV program on my own PC. I find they don't make it any more or less likely that you will get a virus: - I base this assertion on myself getting less viruses than those I know who have AVs installed. I do, of course, run a firewall.

These days, most people - advanced users no less than those who aren't very confident - unwittingly open the door to viruses themselves. We rely on getting so many files off the internet, and you can contract a virus simply by visiting a perfectly reasonable seeming website. There was a case of a UK bank's site unwittingly harbouring a virus at one point. If you've clicked 'yes' to install something, no AV software is going to save you.

The best advice is to have all your reinstallation DVDs easily to hand, so that it takes as little time as possible to get everything up and running again.

I had thought that anti-virus programs for Android phones were a silly idea. This week, I finally met someone who had got a virus on their phone. Not good news, when you think of how much personal information a 'Google phone' holds.

[danwdoo]

While I would always run AV, I certainly understand your sentiments about it. I've been pretty pleased with Microsoft Security Essentials myself and would never pay for this type of software.

Rather than reinstalls, an even better option is to make an image of a known good install and save it to an external hard drive. If you then 'need' to do a reinstall, you just restore the image, which takes a fraction of the time and all your programs are already installed. This also prevents you having to re-activate any software. You then just install any updates, or programs that you installed since the image was made, and all your configurations are preserved. Windows 7 can make the image itself, or you can use one of several free tools available to create the image for older versions of Windows.

[TallMomof2]

On my new PCs I've been installing Microsoft Security Essentials. Before that I used a combination of AVG Free and and several free anti-spyware programs. That is still a good strategy but the Microsoft product only requires one installation.

Stay away from Norton, years ago it was a good product, it's mostly bloatware nowadays and can be downright dangerous. I'm speaking from personal experience.

[danwdoo]

It is very important to make sure you only ever install one active (real-time) AV application at a time. Installing more than one can cause serious problems and instability on the computer.

I use Microsoft security essentials for my primary AV, and malewarebyte's Anti-Maleware (also free) as an occasional backup, as it only does manual scans. Maloware is also the first tool I install whenever removing viruses from an infected computer and it is very effective at removing just about anything.

[jbcohen]

Folks please don't get worried about a Kindle virus. After speaking with Mc Affee Anti Virus they tell me that they have not seen one and do not expect to see one for quite some time. Troubble is that the Kindle does not yet have the prelevance in the market to make it a worthwile target. While it is true that when you commute back and forth to work most of the electronic readers you see will be Kindle's and even if you don't have a Kindle people think that your reader is automatically a Kindle even if its a Nook, Nook Color or a Kobo. Kindle does not have the market penetration that Apple's products do or the prelevance that PCs and Microsoft software does in the market.

This has its good parts and bad parts. The bad part is that the Kindle is not as prelevant out there as one would like it to be but there is an upside - If I am a virus writter I am probably not going to bother writting a virus for a Kindle yet its not a high profile target yet. I am probably going to devote my time and efforts to a larger taget like a PC or Mac then a Kindle. So don't worry about a Kindle virus.

And no a Kindle can not be used to spread a PC or Mac virus becuase a Kindle does not work on either the Windows or Mac OS and to hide in a Kindle the virus needs to be written for the Kindle and that has not happened as yet. So don't worry about that as yet. Viri don't get around via electronic book readers as yet they typically move around via - sneaker net, floppy disks, downloading from internet, CDs, DVDs or USB drives.

[Ken Maltby]

I prefer Avast over AVG, it seems to have a little less impact on my system while offering
plenty of features. AVG seems to have picked up some of the bad habits that Norton's
acquired over the years. (Just an impression, no hard data to back it up.) It could also
relate to the other software you run and what particular functions (like networking and
wireless features including Bluetooth that you may have implemented) as to how
"compatable" a particular security program may appear, in use.

Luck;
Ken

[DMSmillie]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

It could also relate to the other software you run and what particular functions (like networking and wireless features including Bluetooth that you may have implemented) as to how "compatable" a particular security program may appear, in use.

Very good point, and if one is unsure, it's worth trying out the free/trial versions available for many of the AV applications out there, to get a feel for which ones are a good fit with one's own PC setup and way of doing things.

[Hellmark]

An infected computer can infect files on an external device. Infected files on that device will not automatically infect a non infected computer, with few exceptions.

A U3 branded drive, can possibly infect a computer, under a handful of circumstances. It is unlikely, but still possible. The U3 device autoruns an application that lets you run apps from the drive and keep sensitive info on the drive, and not the computer. So, you can run firefox from the U3 drive, and all saved passwords, etc are stored on the drive. This lets you keep things persistently across multiple computers, even public ones, with out an issue. This has the autorun feature because it has a partition that mimics a CD drive (which autorun was meant for CDs). A few years back, the IPTV show Hak.5 started spot lighting the Switchblade and Hacksaw projects that hacked U3 drives to change what was on the partition to run other software of their own creation. 99% of the time, the drive was owned by the hacker (or script kiddie) and was used to steal passwords, CD keys, cookie info, etc from computers they got physical access to. They would just pop it in, and a few seconds later, have a bunch of info and be off. This being said, it is technically possible to have a virus change the U3 partition to add a virus on someone unknowingly. It isn't common, because it would require the target to have a u3 drive and for them to go to other computers with the drive. It would be a slow method to distribute a payload, and so generally isn't seen as worthwhile. On Vista and Windows 7 computers, autorun isn't fully automatic any more, so you can stop it from happening on a per instance basis.

It is also possible for autorun on non U3 devices. This has seen some usage through conficker, and related viruses. Disabling autorun will fix this.

The other way, is if you have your computer set to show previews or thumbnails of files on the drive. When you open up the drive, the computer will open the files completely to generate the thumbnail. There have been various exploits to security holes in this system over the years, that allowed a malformed image to create a buffer overflow that would allow for code to be executed. This is more common than the U3 method, since so many more have this feature than u3 drives, plus once the system is infected they can use the computer's network connection to spread via emails, networked drives, etc. There have been a few viruses that have exploited autorun

If you are worried about a device being infected, simply scan it immediately after plugging in the device. Do not try and view it or anything until after you've scanned it. Holding shift while inserting the device should prevent autorun. You may have to hold it for a bit after insertion, to be sure (I've had to hold it as long as 20 or so seconds). If you use XP or earlier, you can disable autorun by instructions included on this link.

As far as MS disabling autorun by default in XP and earlier, I am surprised they've finally are going to release an update to do that. MS has been known to allow for gaping security holes for years, so it wouldn't effect a "feature". Anyone remember the netsend message from the Win2k and early XP days? MS had a tool included in all NT based systems that would allow people to send a message to other computers on the network. This was quite useful for system and network admins to notify people of impeding changes. However, by default MS had this enabled and allowed to accept messages from anywhere, even the internet. Obviously, nefarious types used this to their advantage, and started spamming random IP addresses, since it was trivial to hit large numbers of computers at once, and automatically. It wasn't until XP Service Pack 2 that MS changed it to only allow net send messages from your local network. Plus they see XP as dead now, so are more unlikely to do much for it. Heck, it is more useful for them to say "Upgrade to 7, so you can avoid this nasty security issue". It should be noted that the update to disable autorun by default is OPTIONAL. It will not be done unless you manually goto Windows Update and select the update that disables it.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by rockchen

Hi,
Does Kindle spread USB virus like USB flash drive?
Say, I often need to connect my kindle with PCs installed Window XP in public places.
My concern is whether kindle will carry any USB virus and make infection on my PC also installed Win XP.
Thanks.

Rock

I don't really understand why you would need to often connect your kindle with public PCs.

[v1k1ng1001]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

I prefer Avast over AVG, it seems to have a little less impact on my system while offering
plenty of features. AVG seems to have picked up some of the bad habits that Norton's
acquired over the years. (Just an impression, no hard data to back it up.) It could also
relate to the other software you run and what particular functions (like networking and
wireless features including Bluetooth that you may have implemented) as to how
"compatable" a particular security program may appear, in use.

Luck;
Ken

I prefer Avast to AVG as well.

But more to the point, I prefer Linux to Windows. These days, it's easier to install Linux than it is to install windows!

Actually, you can dual boot Linux and Windows on the same computer. That way, if windows is nuked you at least have a functional OS that will allow you to access the files on your windows partition. It's a mystery to me why more folks don't do this.

[Ken Maltby]

Well I've had my own computer since before there was Windows, and I've had computers
running under Windows as long as there has been Windows. I have had malware detected on no more than three occasions and have never had it actually damage my system.

I have shared data and downloaded files, before there was a commonly available Internet
back when there were dial-up Bulletinboards. I was an early member of Compuserve.

Windows is not now, nor ever been, anything like the problem you Penguin lovers make it
out to be.

Luck;
Ken

[v1k1ng1001]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

Windows is not now, nor ever been, anything like the problem you Penguin lovers make it
out to be.

Of course you're assuming that the user possesses the knowledge and skills needed to secure windows. As this thread demonstrates, most folks don't have a clear idea of how to do this effectively. Hence windows can very easily prove to be the nightmare that Linux apologists have been warning you about.