Mouse Jacking: The Silent Cyber Attack You Never See

Do You Know Your Mouse Can Be Hacked?

Yes — it’s real.

Mousejacking is a stealthy wireless cyber attack where a hacker exploits insecure wireless mouse or keyboard receivers to inject malicious keystrokes into a victim’s computer — without touching the system at all.

• ❌ No malware

• ❌ No clicks

• ❌ No warning

Just silent compromise.

1. What Mousejacking Actually Is

Mousejacking targets 2.4 GHz wireless mice and keyboards that rely on USB dongles (not Bluetooth).

The Core Problem

Many wireless receivers blindly trust any device that speaks the correct radio protocol.

If an attacker can:

• Transmit on the 2.4 GHz frequency

• Mimic the mouse or keyboard protocol

They can:

• Inject keystrokes

• Open terminals

• Download malicious payloads

• Create backdoors

All while the victim watches the cursor move and assumes:

“Weird… must be a glitch.”

2. Devices That Are Vulnerable

❌ Generally Not Vulnerable

• Bluetooth mice (mostly)

• Wired mice and keyboards

• Modern encrypted dongles (newer models)

• Devices using proper authentication (e.g., AES + verification)

✅ Commonly Vulnerable

• Old Logitech Unifying receivers (pre-security patches)

• Cheap generic wireless mice

• "Nano Receiver" devices

• Office mice purchased before ~2019

Key Insight

Encryption ≠ Authentication

Many devices encrypt data but don’t verify who sent it — and that’s the fatal flaw.

3. How a Real Mousejacking Attack Works

Step 1: Passive Reconnaissance

The attacker:

• Scans the 2.4 GHz spectrum

• Identifies active mouse traffic

• Extracts device addresses and protocol patterns

Step 2: Active Injection

The attacker:

• Spoofs a mouse or keyboard

• Sends keystrokes faster than any human

Typical injected actions include:

• Win + R

• Opening Command Prompt or PowerShell

• Executing one-liner payloads

• Opening a browser to a malicious URL

⚠️ No user interaction required.

Step 3: Persistence

Once keyboard access is achieved:

• New admin users can be created

• Startup scripts can be planted

• Reverse shells can be deployed

• Credential harvesting begins

At this point, the mouse is irrelevant — the system is fully compromised.

4. Why Antivirus and Firewalls Don’t Save You

Because:

• No malicious file is needed

• Traffic is local, not network-based

• Input looks like legitimate human activity

• Operating systems inherently trust HID devices

Mouse input is trusted by design — and attackers abuse that trust.

5. Why Mousejacking Still Matters in 2026

Cheap hardware, careless manufacturing, and crowded public spaces keep this attack alive.

High-risk environments include:

• Colleges and universities

• Cafés

• Co-working spaces

• Conferences

• Hostels

6. Final Take

If you use a cheap wireless mouse:

You traded ₹500 convenience for total system compromise.

That’s not convenience — that’s negligence.

Conclusion

Security isn’t about paranoia.

It’s about understanding trust boundaries — and Mousejacking breaks one of the most fundamental ones.

Stay informed. Choose secure hardware. Don’t trust blindly.