What about an infected flash drive?

[guitar-picker]

Horror stories suggest that the simple act of plugging a malware-infected flash drive into a PC, can instantly infect that PC. 

Am I correct in understanding that Malwarebytes will completely eliminate the possibility of that kind of infection...as soon as the thumb drive is inserted, will it detect the malware on the flash drive, block it from being transferred to the PC, and give the user the option to isolate, or completely remove it, from the flash drive?

Alternatively, if Malwarebytes detects malware on the flash drive, which approach is safest:  (1) have Malwarebytes remove the malware from the flash drive, or (2) simply reformat the flash drive?

[David H. Lipman]

Malwarebytes' signatures will target the AutoRun worm and the anti exploit module will prevent the OS from being infected.

There is no reason to format the Flash Drive unless it was really empty to begin with or it is new.  There are KNOWN events where Flash Drives are deliberately made to be malicious and are then sold in that state.  Packaged and sealed products from known manufacturers and vendors have the lowest propensity for this.  Used drives bought 2^cnd hand have a much higher propensity of bearing a malicious payload.

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by David H. Lipman
Edited for content, clarity, spelling and grammar

[guitar-picker]

Many thanks for clarifying that, Dave.

[David H. Lipman]