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All USB Flash Drives that support the new U3 standard have a locked, non-deletable, 2nd drive emulating a CD-ROM drive which is setup to auto-install the U3 software on any windows PC you plug the Flash Drive into. If you don't disable autorun, or hold down the shift key anytime you plug one of these drives into someone's Windows, this malware is automatically installed. It will even prompt the user to reboot windows XP after the install is complete. But it will not prompt the user prior to installing the malware.All USB Flash Drives that support the new U3 standard have a locked, non-deletable, 2nd drive emulating a CD-ROM drive which is setup to auto-install the U3 software on any windows PC you plug the Flash Drive into. If you don't disable [[autorun]], or hold down the shift key anytime you plug one of these drives into someone's Windows, this malware is automatically installed. It will even prompt the user to reboot windows XP after the install is complete. But it will not prompt the user prior to installing the malware.* '''Installs software without permission:''' When you plug in the drive, it uses a hack to take advantage of the CD-ROM autorun vulnerability to install U3 software without your permission. * U3 Launchpad uses the autorun.inf file on the thumbdrive root. The U3 program is stored on a special read-only partition of the thumbdrive and cannot be manually removed by simply formatting or deleting. Hold down the <big><big><big>'''SHIFT KEY'''</big></big></big> when inserting a thumbdrive to prevent autorun.inf from launching and installing U3. * '''Installs software without permission:''' When you plug in the drive, it uses a hack to take advantage of the CD-ROM [[autorun]] vulnerability to install U3 software without your permission. old-style floppy virus. Disabling U3 autorun is by disabling CD autorunold-style floppy virus. Disabling U3 [[autorun]] is by disabling CD autorunvia the registry - http://support.microsoft.com/?id=155217 A quickvia the registry - <del>http://support.microsoft.com/?id=155217</del>* A quick''*. You cannot count of Micro$oft maintaining a link location.''U3 will add the following to your PC:# A hidden folder: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\U3\temp The Secure II Plus software will not auto install like U3 ('''unverified''') as most of this type of encryption software bundled with some flash drives tends not to auto-install. The only known bundled flash drive software that auto-installs like a virus is the U3 software included with new SanDisk brand flash drives. == Related == * [[Autorun|Autoplay, Autorun, and Auto-insert notification]]* [[Turn off Autoplay With Group Policy Editor]]* [[Sandisk U3 Flash Drive Virus]]* [[Sony DRM Rootkit]] For Linux Users:* [[How_Do_I:_A_Linux_Q%26A#.5BDISABLE_ANNOYING_KDE_Autorun_WHEN_CDROM_IS_IN_DRIVE_WHEN_KDE_STARTS.5D|KDE Autorun]]<small><small>keywords: usb flash virus drive thumb stick memory security</small></small>