This iPhone charging cable can steal your passwords – Times of India

A security researcher who goes by the name MG has developed a Lightning cable for charging an iPhone that hides a chip inside which can be used to record whatever you type. The charging cable can then send all that is typed while it is connected to the device to someone remotely. So, if you connect this cable for charging your iPhone, and type passwords of banking websites or social media, it will relay the information instantly, as per a report by Vice.
The security researcher showcased that these cables are successful in doing its job and Apple’s security can do very little about this. The scary bit is that the researcher intends to mass produce these charging cables and sell them.
As per the report by Vice, “MG previously demoed an earlier version of the cables for Motherboard at the DEF CON hacking conference in 2019. Shortly after that, MG said he had successfully moved the cables into mass production, and cybersecurity vendor Hak5 started selling the cables.”
The charging cables are called ‘OMG Cables’ and “they work by creating a Wi-Fi hotspot itself that a hacker can connect to from their own device. From here, an interface in an ordinary web browser lets the hacker start recording keystrokes,” it added.
Interestingly, the cables also come with “geofencing features” allowing users to “trigger or block the device’s payloads” depending on where it is being used. “It pairs well with the self-destruct feature if an OMG Cable leaves the scope of your engagement and you do not want your payloads leaking or being accidentally run against random computers,” MG told Vice.
Despite the tiny space that is available inside charging cables, it is quite concerning that someone can actually fit in an effective chip that can leak sensitive information to a person a mile apart.