Breaking Boundaries: Popping Shells in the Airgap with $10 & Arduino Magic
Shows how to build an inexpensive wireless BadUSB device with Arduino hardware to execute payloads on airgapped medical systems.
Summary
Airgapped Device Security Assumptions
Medical devices and laboratory systems are frequently isolated from corporate networks under the assumption that airgapping prevents cyber exploitation.
Wireless BadUSB Hardware Design
Using low-cost microcontroller boards and basic Arduino programming, researchers built a custom wireless BadUSB device for under ten dollars.
Executing Payloads on Isolated Systems
Connecting the device to an accessible USB port enables wireless command transmission, simulating keyboard keystrokes to execute local payloads and pop shells on non-networked systems.
Hardening Physical USB Interfaces
Protecting airgapped healthcare and industrial equipment requires disabling unused USB ports, enforcing physical port locks, and implementing strict peripheral access control policies.
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