{
  "id": 376885,
  "title": "Open-source stealth USB hides an encrypted partition behind an 8GB decoy drive — 'Phantom Drive' appears as a regular USB stick until you create a text file to unlock the hidden data",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/open-source-stealth-usb-hides-an-encrypted-partition-behind-an-8gb",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-09T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/usb-flash-drives/open-source-stealth-usb-hides-an-encrypted-partition-behind-an-8gb-decoy-drive-phantom-drive-appears-as-a-regular-usb-stick-until-you-create-a-text-file-to-unlock-the-hidden-data"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Phantom Drive, crafted by Rootkit Labs, masquerades as a regular USB stick, appearing as an 8GB drive until a text file is created to unlock its hidden encrypted partition. This innovative device is powered by a microSD card, whose contents are shielded by AES-256 encryption. Built with the CH569 microcontroller, the Phantom Drive relies on a microSD card for both its decoy and hidden partitions, as direct NAND chips are scarce due to a component shortage. The device's firmware intercepts data transmissions, identifying a specific \"password\" string to unlock the hidden partition. The password, once typed, is hashed 100,000 times to generate a key for encryption and decryption, thwarting brute-force attacks. The Phantom Drive can be customized to resemble various brands, evading detection. Despite being limited to USB 2 speeds, the device is available for $50 or can be self-assembled using open-source resources.",
  "summary": "This USB looks like a standard 8GB drive, but it unlocks a hidden partition when you create a text file with the password inside. The password is never actually written to storage; it's instead intercepted by the custom firmware and copied into the microcontroller's SRAM during hashing.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}