Windows 10: Can a Wireless Mouse Have a Virus?

I recently purchased a wireless mouse online. However, the mouse is not bought with best buy or amazon. Such as imagine buying it from ebay or amazon with 3rd party


Im now wondering... is there a chance a wireless mouse could possibly have virus? Because im wondering if i should order the mouse again on best buy or through amazon if they have it in stock? Or is this something that one should not worry about.

:)

 

I have a Microsoft Wireless mouse that "stopped working".

If its a Bluetooth mouse, try unpairing the pair it again. If you are using a Bluetooth dongle, try connecting to another USB port then try again.

How to Pair a Bluetooth Device with Windows 10 - groovyPost

 

I have a Microsoft Wireless mouse that "stopped working".

Hello! The reply I did receive was in regards to a "Bluetooth" mouse which this was not.

I determined the mouse was gone, so I purchased a new one. All is well now. So thanks.

jnulr

 

Also on a related question. Let say the mouse you bought was new but it was actually refurbished. Or let say you bought a refurbished mouse. If you did, wouldn't that mean there is a possible chance the mouse could infect your computer etc? Or if the mouse came shipped to you but it came without the box as in original packaging. Would you say its best to not use that mouse for security reasons etc?


Well i googled and read about mousejack. So are you sure not 100 percent?

 

Plugging anything into USB is a risk.

The CIA/FSB/PLA could always "convince" a manufacturer to install some spyware into their devices. Or some factory floor worker could accidentally infect a server that distributes drivers or firmware. There's countless ways any particular device can infect your machine, whether brand new or not.

With computer security there's no 100% anywhere. You have to draw the line based on your security requirements, budget, comfort level, etc.

If security is such a concern then you shouldn't be using wireless anything and you should be auditing all the hardware and drivers to make sure there aren't any hidden devices or software.

I would say that the probability of you getting a malicious device off eBay is extremely small - just use some reasonable precautions (like if the device has signs of tampering or looks different than what a new one looks like then don't plug it in). But if you're concerned then just buy a new one for the peace of mind.

 

Any wireless device emits signal which could be intercepted and manipulated with. Wireless mice, KBs, camera etc. mostly work on WiFi and Bluetooth frequencies and protocols but are not protected like normal WiFi routers and so are open to manipulation from unscrupulous hackers in signal range. .It deoesn't really pose a treat where you buy a mouse, there's no OS or storage facility in them to contain any malware but SW that comes with it may.

 

One of the concerns with Mousejack or other malicious USB devices is that they can inject mouse movements/keyboard input. So while they don't contain executable code per se, they can send the keystrokes to open a shell and execute commands or move the mouse to activate the on-screen keyboard and do the same thing.

 

Well if you buy it from a legit site say directly from amazon or best buy or say staples.com... then surely chances are almost 0 then right? But if you order it through ebay or 3rd party from amazon, there is slight chance? I read article that someone bought a phone through ebay used and then their computer got hacked because their credit card etc got maxed out etc.

 

Certainly the risk would be lower if you buy a brand-new factory-sealed device.

That said, I doubt that many people try to spread malware through used mice. A phone is much easier to install malware onto and extract information from without someone noticing.

 

I still can't see a possibility of a virus in that kind of HW/FW. Mousejack is not that kind of malware, it requires outside intervention to connect to WiFi/Bluetooth dongle on your computer. If you are afraid of that, better get wired peripherals.

 

The only chance I see for Malware would be if the mouse came with a disk to install drivers/software that had been tampered with. That problem could be avoided by downloading the software directly from the Manufacturer.

Personally I won't buy anything from Amazon or EBay unless they would be the only places to find something I need. Too many counterfeit items and factory seconds or refurbished items sold as new. For computers and accessories I stick to some place like Newegg. For phones and accessories I only buy directly from the Manufacturer.