Question Picked up a curious little usb at a thrift store for a $1.99

[dorkydev]

Windows recognizes it but doesn't show it in device manager

One site shoes it as a USB HID and a ActivHID

It's labeled as Actividentity Activkey SIM 48010--B Apr 07 B/N 0766428

Another google result displays it along with VMWare

So it really peaked my curiosity, I found a drivers and downloads page for the name.

I'm still trying to figure out what exactly it is and the possibilities of what I could do with it.

Obviously, it also holds tokens so it must be a secure USB Drive Pen and I wonder if I could use it to store my own passwords and info on, of course if I can reformat and wipe it first to secure my stuff from being leaked.

 

[USAFRet]

Is there some manufacturer label on it?

Me personally, I wouldn't plug this into any system that was connected to my LAN, and that I wasn't prepared to wipe completely.

 

[dorkydev]

Post updated with pic's.

Actividentity appears to be the manufacture, and Activkey is the product or model.

 

[USAFRet]

Post updated with pic's.

Actividentity appears to be the manufacture, and Activkey is the product or model.

Any "security" function can only be done with software/firmware from the manufacturer.

 

[Eximo]

Looks like a simple two-factor authentication device. Can't log into the network/computer without that plugged in and the appropriate password.

Could also be a license dongle for some software.

 

[dorkydev]

Looks like a simple two-factor authentication device. Can't log into the network/computer without that plugged in and the appropriate password.

Could also be a license dongle for some software.

Yeah I thought it was something like that and it made me think what if I could get the software and rewrite the credentials on it or if they were read or write only.

Funny thing is I got it at a Goodwill with a button up short sleeve short, the cashier didn't see it and just wrapped the shirt up and through it all in a bag.

https://www3.hidglobal.com/drivers/17004

Appears to be the drivers and downloads page when searching Actividentity Activkey

 

[Cj-tech]

Windows recognizes it but doesn't show it in device manager

One site shoes it as a USB HID and a ActivHID

It's labeled as Actividentity Activkey SIM 48010--B Apr 07 B/N 0766428

Another google result displays it along with VMWare

So it really peaked my curiosity, I found a drivers and downloads page for the name.

I'm still trying to figure out what exactly it is and the possibilities of what I could do with it.

Obviously, it also holds tokens so it must be a secure USB Drive Pen and I wonder if I could use it to store my own passwords and info on, of course if I can reformat and wipe it first to secure my stuff from being leaked.

That looks like one of the USB drives I left at my local Goodwill to see who would plug it into their PC. I’m just kidding. But really, if someone did want to do something malicious like that, you could be hacked.

 

[BFG-9000]

Or worse than hacked. What's the fascination with plugging mystery objects into your PC?

 

[dorkydev]

That looks like one of the USB drives I left at my local Goodwill to see who would plug it into their PC. I’m just kidding. But really, if someone did want to do something malicious like that, you could be hacked.

Yup so you travel quite often all the way to Atlanta

LMAO

 

[dorkydev]

Or worse than hacked. What's the fascination with plugging mystery objects into your PC?

IT Guy and Gadget Geek

If anything malicous happened I would've known about it

Panda USB and AutoRun Vaccine

 

[Cj-tech]

IT Guy and Gadget Geek

If anything malicous happened I would've known about it

Panda USB and AutoRun Vaccine

Even the most advanced software cannot be used to compensate for user actions. Such software should be used as a secondary defense in the event that someone accidentally plus something in… the first is avoiding plugging in to your device. I’ve got a dedicated device for trying out anything potentially dangerous - which is rare.

 

[dorkydev]

Even the most advanced software cannot be used to compensate for user actions. Such software should be used as a secondary defense in the event that someone accidentally plus something in… the first is avoiding plugging in to your device. I’ve got a dedicated device for trying out anything potentially dangerous - which is rare.

Exactly and who said I didn't know this already?

Or is this just the newby initiation to see if ya'll chase me away.

You're talking to someone who managed a pc repair shop for 3 years and diagnosed salvageable's and scrap's at a pc recycling center for 15 years.

I was just digging up info on this usb stick, as I only found a few results.

 

[Cj-tech]

Exactly and who said I didn't know this already?

Or is this just the newby initiation to see if ya'll chase me away.

You're talking to someone who managed a pc repair shop for 3 years and diagnosed salvageable's and scrap's at a pc recycling center for 15 years.

I was just digging up info on this usb stick, as I only found a few results.

I commend your experience. The only reason I said anything is because you plugged it in and then you said this:

I'm still trying to figure out what exactly it is and the possibilities of what I could do with it.

 

[dorkydev]

I commend your experience. The only reason I said anything is because you plugged it in and then you said this:

That's only because of the one result that said it also had a vmware on it.

So there I think two different products that showed up for it. If I remember correctly.

Which were

HID ActivID® ActivKey® SIM Access control card/ tag (Search without the model number)​

ActivKey and VMware Workstation 6.5 (Search with the model number up to the dash)​

The first day when I had it I thought maybe it might've come with vmware loaded onto it or something

 

[Deleted member 14196]

And that right there is a newbie. Why would VMware be loaded on anything? Do you know how expensive that is?


I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re already compromised

 

[punkncat]

Yup so you travel quite often all the way to Atlanta

LMAO

Off subject, but shout out to A-Town!

I am in South Atlanta suburbs. Our local Goodwill is so picked over it is truly rare to find anything worth comment or even the super inexpensive pricing. A buddy of mine lives down in Panama City and there is a Goodwill near his home that has a dedicated room in the back for electronics and such. He picked up an old i7 2600 system there for a few dollars. It is a neat spot, they have a lot of cool stuff.

One thing I have never noticed seeing in either one was a storage device with anything on it. One would assume that they have someone clearing/cleaning drives and storage before putting it on the floor.

 

[dorkydev]

Off subject, but shout out to A-Town!

I am in South Atlanta suburbs. Our local Goodwill is so picked over it is truly rare to find anything worth comment or even the super inexpensive pricing. A buddy of mine lives down in Panama City and there is a Goodwill near his home that has a dedicated room in the back for electronics and such. He picked up an old i7 2600 system there for a few dollars. It is a neat spot, they have a lot of cool stuff.

One thing I have never noticed seeing in either one was a storage device with anything on it. One would assume that they have someone clearing/cleaning drives and storage before putting it on the floor.

Which one is that Piedmont, Ralph David, Metropolitan Ave or Northside Dr? Ralph David is really picked over, but the employees there are cool good people.

I could throw in a couple Decatur ones too.

I'll say Value Village is better and sometimes Salvation Army has some good finds.

Main thing that ticks me off about Goodwill is around 2012 or when they made a deal with Dell to donate all their donated computer's to them for recycling.

And that right there is a newbie. Why would VMware be loaded on anything? Do you know how expensive that is?


I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re already compromised

And no I don't.
I hardly mess with VMWare at all.
Again it was when I first picked it up and looked at it, just a random passing thought of what the heck this device was.

 

[punkncat]

Which one is that Piedmont, Ralph David, Metropolitan Ave?
I could throw in a couple Decatur ones too.

I'll say Value Village is better and sometimes Salvation Army has some good finds.

Main thing that ticks me off about Goodwill is around 2012 or when they made a deal with Dell to donate all their donated computer's to them for recycling.

Further South down in Fayette-nam. I used to live up on Clairmont but that was before being into computers enough to wish to find stuff at thrift stores. I enjoy them now, have gotten a lot of nice treasures out of them.

I am not familiar with Value Village.

For years I had a hookup on Dell Optiplex and similar builds such as Precision line "servers" that were being decommissioned to fix back up and resell. It just sort of happened that when W11 was announced and in particular its requirements, pricing for those went so low that it wasn't worth doing any more.
The most enticing thing I have seen at ours lately was an IOmega drive with no disks or power converter.

 

[dorkydev]

Off subject, but shout out to A-Town!

I am in South Atlanta suburbs. Our local Goodwill is so picked over it is truly rare to find anything worth comment or even the super inexpensive pricing. A buddy of mine lives down in Panama City and there is a Goodwill near his home that has a dedicated room in the back for electronics and such. He picked up an old i7 2600 system there for a few dollars. It is a neat spot, they have a lot of cool stuff.

One thing I have never noticed seeing in either one was a storage device with anything on it. One would assume that they have someone clearing/cleaning drives and storage before putting it on the floor.

I had the opportunity to buy a Dell server client console with everything still in tact the keyboard fold up monitor, I passed cause I didn't know what I'd repurpose it for or do with it.

The value village up here on metropolitain ave right now have a Mac G5 Tower with the monitor for $500

It powers up sound comes out of towers speakers, but nothing shows up on screen, I believe it's just an issue of not hooking something else up to the lil octopus strand of wires that the power cable is.

Still it just isn't worth it at that much. It's been sitting there for a month and a half now.

 

[punkncat]

metropolitain ave

Grew up in the Sylvan Hills/Perkerson Park area right there off "Stewart Ave." on Beatie Ave (off Dill). I am guessing that the Salvation Army post is still just North of what was Atlanta Area Tech?

That G5 is so outdated it wouldn't be any good for anything short of collecting it just to have. Certainly not worth $500 even if it did boot up and run properly.

 

[dorkydev]

Grew up in the Sylvan Hills/Perkerson Park area right there off "Stewart Ave." on Beatie Ave (off Dill). I am guessing that the Salvation Army post is still just North of what was Atlanta Area Tech?

That G5 is so outdated it wouldn't be any good for anything short of collecting it just to have. Certainly not worth $500 even if it did boot up and run properly.

On Marietta St, unless that's what you're talking about now across the street is Georgia Tech

I'm familiar with Dill, Sylvan Hills and Perkerson a bit

Right, at the G5 they've had other cool stuff there a Google WiFi home network (Cone type Pod thingy setup), Dell server blade, I keep hoping to find a serial or usb port touch screen monitor, but nothing yet, my boss at the pc recycling center just gave me a little Dell serial port usb port 13" monitor, around 2015 I was using it and managed to scrap together some drivers that would make it work on Windows 10 back then only pesky thing was upon a reboot you'd have to reinstall the drivers. I had it setup as a small little triple display.

 

[Math Geek]

i have spent a ton of time in the cavernous airport. does that count as being from the ATL??

i don't see anything related to those names and numbers on the device that is not smart credentials related. pretty safe to say that is what it is for. i would assume pairing it with its reader/writer would let you reprogram it. but you'd need the software and all that to make it all work. would be fun to tinker with if you could find the rest of the system. otherwise i don't think it can even be formatted as a storage device.

 

[Moonstick2]

ActivIdentity were acquired by HID back in 2013 and seemed to have ceased being a brand name from then, so what you have is probably at least that old.

It might have the shape and the connector but I don't think it's a USB drive. It's a smart card, or more precisely a smart card + USB reader in one. 80 kB of memory.

You might be able to figure out a fun project for it, though I kind of expect secure smart cards to be difficult to do much with by design.