Put a Keylogger on a USB key

Last updated: July 16, 2022

A keylogger is a program that allows you to retrieve everything you type on the keyboard : your passwords, your banking information, etc ... A malicious person can then find and explore the various logins and passwords of your computer.

In this article, I will show you a trick that allows you to put a Keylogger on your USB key, which is installed directly on the computer with complete discretion, and which records all keystrokes on the computer.
For this you will need a USB key and the software Shadow Keylogger. The latter is a free, simple and secure keylogger for Windows that lets you record keyboard activity.

How to put a Keylogger on a USB stick?

Step 1:

First of all, download Shadow Keylogger and don't forget to deactivate your antivirus, because it could block the transfer. Be careful during the installation, because the software offers you a completely optional toolbar, uncheck the appropriate box. For hardware, an old 512MB or 1GB key can do the trick.

Step 2: 

Place the EXE in a folder on your USB key. You can rename this folder to systemfiles for example, and change the name of the Keylogger by System to make the software less discoverable in case the key is discovered. Open the software and specify a password so that you can later access the keystrokes.

Step 3:

Then open a text document with Windows Notepad and type these few lines:

Save and rename this file autorun.inf. If you cannot access the file extension, open a random explorer window, click "View" then "Options" then "Change folder and search options". In the "View" tab, uncheck "Hide extensions for files of known type".

Step 4:

Place all these files on your drive (the Keylogger in folder and the INF in root). You will then have to place your key on the victim's computer (at the back of the PC for example). The antivirus may be triggered. While you are on it, take the opportunity to deactivate it and put an exception (many antiviruses allow you to shift a "false positive")