Hackers could hijack devices using a laptop’s USB-C charger

guest · Aug 10, 2018

Hackers could hijack devices using a laptop’s USB-C charger
August 10, 2018
https://www.techradar.com/news/hackers-could-hijack-devices-using-a-laptops-usb-c-charger

Many recent laptops use a USB-C port for charging, which is a convenient and fast way of topping up a notebook’s battery, but it appears that this method of charging could be exploited by hackers.

As the BBC reports, a security researcher known as ‘MG’ has shown how a laptop charger that plugs into the USB-C port (in this case the charger belonged to a MacBook) can be altered to hijack the computer it is plugged into.

MG added small components into the charger, which powers up when connected to the laptop. The laptop continues to charge as normal, which means the user would not be aware that anything untoward was happening. [...] the device displayed a fake login screen that could be used to gain people’s usernames and passwords.

Being conscious of what you’re plugging into your laptop is always good advice, and you should never plug in a USB device you find lying around into your machine.
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