Hacked iPhone cables let cyber crooks hijack your gadgets – and they look EXACTLY like official Apple leads
CYBER CROOKS are mass-producing fake iPhone charging cables that allow them to hack into your computer.
The leads look identical to official Apple ones but grant criminals access to your messages, photos, videos and more.
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Victims unwittingly buy them online thinking they're real cables, and once they plug their phone in to a computer, the hacker strikes.
They give cyber thugs complete control of your PC, letting hackers steal your logins, raid your bank and more.
The dodgy lead was created by an anonymous hacker known as MG, who first showed it off at August's Def Con cybersecurity conventon.
They're essentially a copy of an iPhone cable but with a Wi-Fi hot spot loaded into it that the hacker can connect to.
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"It looks like a legitimate cable and works just like one," said MG, speaking to Vice.
"Not even your computer will notice a difference – until I, as an attacker, wirelessly take control of the cable."
The so-called O.MG Cable won't hack your iPhone, but it will take over a PC if plugged in.
Hackers would try to swap out your cable for the O.MG Cable without you noticing – or sell them to you on the internet by pretending they're real cables – and run riot with your PC.
The mysterious cyber researcher announced over the weekend that the cable has been successfully produced in a factory.
Hak5, a company that sells hacking tools, will be selling the product once it's ready.
"I’ve completely torn the cable apart to make sure there aren’t any production stoppers. Gotta make sure it’s up to par!," MG said.
How to spot if your cable is hacked
Here's what you need to know...
- The bad news is that these cables appear identical to a regular Apple one
- This makes trying to tell it apart from a genuine "safe" cable very difficult
- "It may not be possible for the average person to tell whether a cable has been modified," said Javvad Malik, a cyber-expert at KnowBe4 speaking to The Sun
- "So when in doubt, or when travelling, it may be worth using a 'usb condom' which, when used, blocks any data transfer, and only allows charging of a device"
- It's also a good idea to avoid purchasing cables from untrusted vendors – and may be worth sticking to the cable you received in your iPhone box
- Of course, this won't stop crooks from trying to swap your cable out when you're not paying attention
Right now, hackers need to be within a few hundred feet of you to access your device.
But it's possible to extend this range infinitely, with the right tools.
MG said he now plans to try and compromise other cables, creating hacked versions of charging leads for non-Apple devices.
We spoke to MG, who explained that spotting one would be very difficult for a general iPhone user.
"It's meant to be as covert as possible," the hacker told The Sun.
"So there really isn't an easy way to tell for a layman.
"But for the average person, this type of attack is a lot more advanced than they are likely to experience.
"There are much easier ways for an attacker to go after someone, usually."
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Apple recommends only using accessories that Apple has certified, and that come with the "Made for Apple" badge.
"To identify counterfeit or uncertified cables and accessories, look carefully at the accessory's packaging and at the accessory itself," Apple explains.
"Certified third-party accessories have the MFi badge on their packaging.
"An Apple Lightning to USB cable has "Designed by Apple in California" and either "Assembled in China," "Assembled in Vietnam," or "Indústria Brasileira" on the cable about seven inches from the USB connector.
"You'll see a 12-digit serial number at the end of this text.
"A certified, third-party Lightning to USB cable usually has company branding on the Lightning-connector end."
In other iPhone news, we recently revealed how to stop pranksters sending texts from your phone through its lock screen.
A spy firm recently warned of a new £60 hacking tool that can unlock any iPhone or iPad in seconds.
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And, we've put together a list of iPhone tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your mobile.
Got any good iPhone tips? Let us know in the comments!
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