It looks exactly like a regular flash drive. but it's not. When you plug in a normal USB drive, your computer mounts it as storage but when you plug in a Rubber Ducky, your computer registers it as a keyboard. keyboards are trusted by default so no antivirus scan.... The Ducky immediately starts typing a preloaded script at up to 1,000 words per minute. faster than any human. In seconds it opens: — opens a hidden PowerShell window — downloads a reverse shell — creates a backdoor account — exfiltrates saved passwords — installs persistent malware DuckyScript 3.0 made it worse. the payload now detects which OS it's on Windows, macOS, Linux and adapts automatically. in 2026 red teams are documenting multi-vector attacks: one person plants the Ducky while an accomplice calls the IT helpdesk pretending to be a vendor. distraction and compromise simultaneously.show more

This is why USB port control belongs in every staff laptop policy. Block unknown HID devices, and teach people that a "found" flash drive in the car park is bait, not luck.

Without admin rights, the rubber ducky can’t simply create accounts or install system wide malware. Least privilege + AppLocker/application control will stop this.

Hak5 called, they want their 2010s back.

Linux stops DuckyScript 3.0 attacks by monitoring how fast the commands are typed and natively providing tools to block or whitelist USB ports so unauthorized keyboards cannot talk to the operating system in the first place. from google AI

Love you man! Your advice/explanation seems always sound, to the point and well written. Thanks!

@pavandavuluri This highlights that if a computer already has one keyboard active, and a new never before seen keyboard is plugged in, out ought to block it and prompt the user whether they want to allow it. Cryptographic signatures could also come to the rescue.

Rubber ducky, your the one.. making PC hacking so much fun.. finding out who in the company does not follow the rules.. o.O

You "bad USB" people are why it takes an act of congress to get IT to allow engineers to use USB sticks to copy data from rented test instruments like oscilloscopes (which by the way IT won't let us connect to the network).

This is old pen testing tech. You can do the exact same thing with a flipper zero. Just the ducky is more discreet is all. Most companies already protect against these attacks with antiviruses like CrowdStrike or SentinelOne.

Diabolical

yikes

Creating an account is a reach.

Clever, in at user level, ready to exploit local privilege escalation, nice!

Nice one bro

How is elevation happening under a non-admin account?

That's a bad little duck

Keyboard trick is smart. Wild times

I make them with a pico

Show em the tiny linux that runs inside a compromised 'pdf' file. that one is epic.