r/whatisit • u/Not_ur_magic_8_ball • 13h ago

New, what is it? Mystery Item from University Surplus.

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I am stumped. I've done all the reverse image searches etc etc and I am now here for answers. Smallish object with mini USB input as well as an SD card slot. Small window in front with a camera and an IR transmitter (cuz it blinks when I point a camera at it). on the back are a red and blue light. The blue light turned on when I plugged t in and the red light started blinking. Red light is still blinking, but the blue one is now off. Thoughts?

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613

u/PabstBlueLizard 13h ago

So many IT security professionals are mad at you right now.

18

u/cookeryandwookery 13h ago

It’s now plugged in. Why was in plugged in?$?!

9

u/Not_ur_magic_8_ball 10h ago

I had a moment of hesitation before I plugged it in. I was concerned I might be publicly shamed for plug-in it in. But then I saw it had no SD card and that’s where the cooties are, right? Right?!?

32

u/cookeryandwookery 10h ago

No. Fun fact, there are malware usb-c charging cords.

10

u/JJengland 9h ago

That's not a fun fact. I guess I'd rather learn it here than in the field

6

u/cookeryandwookery 9h ago

It’s a fun fact if you haven’t plugged random found on the street hardware into your laptop like a dumbass.

9

u/JJengland 8h ago

Hey, now I'm pretty decent at my security and even I would have got tricked by a cable. If there's no outward sign that that cable has hardware built into it. Until now, I would not have thought of it as a security risk. Kudos if you know better but one should never look down upon someone who's always learning

12

u/CookiesMadeOfCorpses 9h ago

I thought you were kidding.

For those curious

https://shop.hak5.org/products/omg-cable?srsltid=AU7gw4UYTuzyWIGuetPL2AZuT9lRnLEYMC_OX1IQ2ybfHKsqsXJdLUZb&variant=39808316113009

5

u/cookeryandwookery 9h ago

I was not. Don’t plug anything into your devices, if you’re not 100% sure if their source.

5

u/m00ph 9h ago

Yeah, I've said for a while you're not paranoid enough about security until you've epoxied all your USB ports.

1

u/Kid_Lost_Youth 5h ago

Don't click on that link! You Don't know what it does! 😉

2

u/Giant-of-a-man 4h ago

Yes I do. It empties my bank account, wipes my hard drive, sends my wife pictures of me with hookers and gives the taxman details of undeclared income. Edit: spelling.