A Survey of Malicious HID Devices

Abstract

As an interface between human and computers, human interface device is supported by most computer systems. On behalf of user, HID devices can complete many operations including many sensitive operations with high authority. Exploiting this feature, attackers have designed and produced many malicious HID devices, imitating the user’s control. Meanwhile, most systems neglect to consider this security issue, posing great challenges to information security. In this regard, this paper reviews the development of malicious HID devices with analysis of technologies used. According to the technical characteristics, these devices are classified into three categories: Pure HID devices, composite devices with HID interface, malicious devices with wireless communication capabilities. Furthermore, this paper discusses the challenges and opportunities of related research.