Can my old peripherals transfer malware to my new computer?
Asked by
CuriousExplorer42
Hey everyone! I recently dealt with a nasty infection from lumma stealer and some other malware, and during the cleanup, Malwarebytes flagged a keylogger that I was able to remove. I ended up reinstalling Windows via a USB drive.
Now, as I'm preparing to get a new computer, I'm curious about the risk of my old peripherals, specifically my Logitech G305 mouse and Aula F65 keyboard, transferring any remaining trojans or keyloggers to the new system. Do I need to toss them out, or is it safe to use them again? For context, I initially got infected through those fraudulent captcha scams where you execute a command. I've learned from my mistake and am being extra cautious now. What's your take on this?
Answers
Honestly, the likelihood of your peripherals carrying over malware is extremely low—pretty much close to zero. While it’s technically possible for a malware writer to exploit firmware on devices like your Logitech mouse, it’s a complicated process. Your mouse isn’t recognized as a mass storage device, so malware can't just hop on board easily. Plus, they wouldn't know what specific model you have unless they coded something really advanced, which is a lot of effort for minimal reward. So, it’s unlikely that you need to worry too much about it!
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CuriousExplorer42: Thanks for clarifying! So, you're saying it's pretty safe to just plug my mouse and keyboard into the new laptop without additional worry?