• Home
  • About 404TS
  • Contact

404 Tech Support

Where IT Help is Found

  • Articles
    • Code
    • Entertainment
    • Going Green
    • Hardware, Gadgets, and Products
    • Management
    • Network
    • News
    • Operating Systems
    • Security and Privacy
    • Software
    • System Administration
    • Talking Points
    • Tech Solutions
    • Web
    • Webmaster
  • Reviews
  • Media
    • Infographics
    • Videos
  • Tech Events
  • Tools
    • How do I find my IP address?
    • Browser and plugin tests
  • Get a Technical Consultation
You are here: Home / Articles / Security and Privacy / Mysterious power strip show up at your office? Could be a hacking device

Mysterious power strip show up at your office? Could be a hacking device

2012-07-23 by Jason

Picture this scenario: A box arrives at the office from Amazon or an office supply store. It’s addressed to the department manager. They open up the box and find a power strip inside, with an invoice – fully paid. The manager doesn’t remember ordering it but there’s been a lot going on. He asks around if anybody needed a power strip and somebody volunteers because they could not plug their fan in without it. The manager thinks that must have been why he ordered it and the staff is happy that they got the equipment.

The staff member goes back to their desk and plugs everything in. Little do they know, they have just opened a hole to the entire network. The device is called Power Pwn, a product from Pwnie Express for penetration testing.

Another scenario could just have a penetration tester getting into the building somehow (e.g. as a custodian, a job interview, or on a tour) and plugs in the device and connects everything up, leaving it inconspicuously ready for use under an abandoned desk.

The Power Pwn builds on the more suspicious looking Pwn Plug with a more disguising look and a lot more features.

  • Onboard high-gain 802.11b/g/n wireless
  • Onboard high-gain Bluetooth (up to 1000′)
  • Onboard dual-Ethernet
  • Fully functional 120/240v AC outlets!
  • Includes 16GB internal disk storage
  • Includes external 3G/GSM adapter
  • Includes all release 1.1 features
  • Fully-automated NAC/802.1x/RADIUS bypass!
  • Out-of-band SSH access over 3G/GSM cell networks!
  • Text-to-Bash: text in bash commands via SMS!
  • Simple web-based administration with “Plug UI”
  • One-click Evil AP, stealth mode, & passive recon
  • Maintains persistent, covert, encrypted SSH access to your target network [Details]
  • Tunnels through application-aware firewalls & IPS
  • Supports HTTP proxies, SSH-VPN, & OpenVPN
  • Sends email/SMS alerts when SSH tunnels are activated
  • Preloaded with Debian 6, Metasploit, SET, Fast-Track, w3af, Kismet, Aircrack, SSLstrip, nmap, Hydra, dsniff, Scapy, Ettercap, Bluetooth/VoIP/IPv6 tools, & more!
  • Unpingable and no listening ports in stealth mode

With the device on the inside, the security researcher could snoop on the whole network remotely with a lot of tools ready and waiting at their fingertips.

The scary thing is that most people wouldn’t think twice about the power strip showing up if it was packaged convincingly enough. After that, the victims would do the work for the hacker by plugging it in.

This convincing tool is available for pre-order currently with an estimated delivery of September 30th. The price for such a rig: $1,295.00 USD. You can see more pictures and the product documentation from the product page on PwnieExpress.com. Just in time for Black Hat and DEF CON information security conferences.

(via Forbes)

Filed Under: Security and Privacy

Trending

  • Symantec Cloud portal suffers all-day outage
    In Featured, Security and Privacy, Software
  • ‘Lost’ Series Finale Leaked! Download it here!
    In Entertainment, Media, News, Security and Privacy
  • Configuring HardCopy to do everything you want and more
    In Software, Tech Solutions

Latest Media Posts

Find Out Where To Download SNES ROMs

Find Out Where To Download SNES ROMs

Multifunctional Video Conversion Tools – Wondershare Video Converter

Multifunctional Video Conversion Tools – Wondershare Video Converter

  • Popular
  • Latest
  • Today Week Month All
  • Wal-Mart’s Low Tech Solution to a Shocking Problem Wal-Mart's Low Tech Solution to a Shocking Problem
  • Access to the resource [servershare] has been disallowed Access to the resource [servershare] has been disallowed
  • What is the AllJoyn Router Service on Windows 10? What is the AllJoyn Router Service on Windows 10?
  • Read the Event Logs on Windows Server Core Read the Event Logs on Windows Server Core
  • Increase IIS Private Memory Limit to improve WSUS availability Increase IIS Private Memory Limit to improve WSUS availability
  • How Virtual Reality Supports Mental Health Therapy How Virtual Reality Supports Mental Health Therapy
  • Key Strategies of Successful Coin Listing on Exchange Key Strategies of Successful Coin Listing on Exchange
  • Keeping Your Mac Healthy: A Comprehensive Guide to Maintenance and Troubleshooting Keeping Your Mac Healthy: A Comprehensive Guide to Maintenance and Troubleshooting
  • Making Distributed Software Development Work: Strategies and Best Practices for Managing Remote Teams Making Distributed Software Development Work: Strategies and Best Practices for Managing Remote Teams
  • customer contactless payment for drink with mobile phon at cafe counter bar,seller coffee shop accept payment by mobile.new normal lifestyle concept The Latest Innovations In Payment Technology
Ajax spinner

Elevator Pitch

404 Tech Support documents solutions to IT problems, shares worthwhile software and websites, and reviews hardware, consumer electronics, and technology-related books.

Subscribe to 404TS articles by email.

Recent Posts

  • How Virtual Reality Supports Mental Health Therapy
  • Key Strategies of Successful Coin Listing on Exchange
  • Keeping Your Mac Healthy: A Comprehensive Guide to Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Search

FTC Disclaimer

404TechSupport is an Amazon.com affiliate; when you click on an Amazon link from 404TS, the site gets a cut of the proceeds from whatever you buy. This site also uses Skimlinks for smart monetization of other affiliate links.
Use of this site requires displaying and viewing ads as they are presented.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in