[ad_1]
In recent months, iPhone owners have been through a lot: new forms of security threat, globally exploited hacks, the CSAM debacle (plus belated walk back) and the endless App Store scams saga. Now things just got worse.
iPhones face a dangerous new attack allowing hackers to access their devices more than a mile away
Apple
In a shocking new report, Vice has revealed a next-gen version of the lethal O.MG cable which targeted Mac users has gone on sale, and iPhones are now in its sights. And it can hack you from up to a mile away.
“It looks like a Lightning cable, it works like a Lightning cable… But it is actually a malicious cable that can record everything I type, including passwords, and wirelessly send that data to a hacker who could be more than a mile away,” reports Vice.
O.MG cables were created and commercialised by a security researcher known as MG, and what he has built into the new cables is extraordinary. When connected, the cables automatically create a WiFi hotspot for the hacker, an interface accessed by an ordinary web browser and enables the hacker to start recording keystrokes. The gen two cable also adds geofencing, allowing hackers to trigger payloads on a device based on their physical location.
“It pairs well with the self-destruct feature if an O.MG Cable leaves the scope of your engagement and you do not want your payloads leaking or being accidentally run against random computers,” MG explained to Vice. “We tested this out in downtown Oakland and were able to trigger payloads at over 1 mile.”
The new O.MG cable looks identical to a standard iPhone charging cable, but it is deadly
O.MG / Hak5
MG also confirmed that the cables have successfully hacked USB-C: “There were people who said that Type C cables were safe from this type of implant because there isn’t enough space. So, clearly, I had to prove that wrong,” MG said. The combination of USB-C to Lightning O.MG cables now makes iPhones a major target.
Vice reports that Apple did not respond to a request for comment about the new OMG cables. I have also contacted Apple and will update this report when/if I receive a response.
The new O.MG Cables are now on sale for $140 from Hak5, so think long and hard before you ask to borrow a stranger’s charging cable. Quite frankly, Apple’s leaked Portless iPhone cannot come soon enough.
___
Follow Gordon on Facebook
More On Forbes
Snowden Slams Apple CSAM: Warns iPad, iPhone, Mac Users Worldwide
New iPhone iMessage Flaw Enables ‘Zero Click’ Hack
[ad_2]
Source link
