Have you ever used a third-party charger to re-charge you iOS device? If yes, then have you ever thought that a charger can bring malware to your iOS device? An abstract of research presentation says that there is a possibility of injecting malware in iOS devices via malicious chargers.
Researchers Billy Lau, Yeongjin Jang and Chengyu Song from the Georgia Institute of Technology, will demonstrate at the upcoming Black Hat security conference, from July 27 to Aug 1, how cybercriminals can insert malware into your iOS devices by using third-party malicious chargers.
The researchers say that many iOS device owners believe their devices are more secure that other other devices offered by various other companies. The researchers also investigated the extent to which security threats were considered when performing everyday tasks like charging your device. The researchers claim that they were successfully able to inject "arbitrary software" into the current Apple devices running the latest operating system (OS) software full with security features.
The trio of researchers say on the presentation abstract "We first examine Apple's existing security mechanisms to protect against arbitrary software installation, then describe how USB capabilities can be leveraged to bypass these defense mechanisms. To ensure persistence of the resulting infection, we show how an attacker can hide their software in the same way Apple hides its own built-in applications."
During the presentation, the researchers will also recommend various ways in which you can protect your iDevices against malware. They will also recommend some security features that the company could implement in their devices to minimize the threat.
There could be occasions when you lose your original charger for your device and because the price to buy a new charger from the OEM is usually very steep, many customers buy a cheaper alternative from unknown brands. Now the question arises: do Android devices also have the possibility of being affected by usage of a malicious charger? Or is it just iOS devices?
