Sss6698-bb Usbdev [2025-2026]

The SSS6698-BB (also identified as 3S6698-BB or 0xBB) is a USB flash drive controller manufactured by Solid State System (3S), commonly found in drives like the Kingston DataTraveler 2.0 (DTSE9).

I have a USB flash drive that shows up in Windows Device Manager / Linux lsusb with the identifier sss6698-bb usbdev. The drive is detected, but: sss6698-bb usbdev

B. Firmware/Factory Mode

If a drive using this controller malfunctions (e.g., due to corrupted firmware or bad flash memory), it may enter a "boot mode" or "safe mode." In this state, the drive will not mount as a storage volume but will appear as an unknown device or "USBDEV." This mode is crucial for data recovery, as it allows external software to communicate directly with the controller to re-flash the firmware or perform low-level diagnostics. The SSS6698-BB (also identified as 3S6698-BB or 0xBB

From what I’ve gathered, SSS(鑫创) 6698-BB is a controller chip made by SSS (Solid State Systems / 3S), commonly used in cheap or counterfeit USB drives. The usbdev part might be a generic vendor string. I have a USB flash drive that shows

Write Protection: The drive becomes "read-only" and cannot be formatted by standard Windows tools.