A new report states that dummy Lightning cables that used for iPhones and iPads are headed into mass production, posing a potential threat to a lot of consumers.
Dubbed as the O.MG cable (named after Mark Grover who designed it), it was showcased at the Def Con hacking conference where the prototypes could be bought for $200. MG has announced that the process is streamlined and large-scale manufacturing is now possible. It won't be long before that happens.
How does the O.MG cable work?
The fake iPhone cables charge and transfer data in the same way as the original Apple cables, but also includes a WiFi hotspot module that a hacker can access. Once the connection is in place, a hacker can remotely run commands on the device, potentially accessing the user files without leaving a trace.
After months of work, I am now holding the very first fully manufactured #OMGCable. I can’t wait to get these up on https://t.co/mVYIMD3v7gNow time for a fully destructive teardown to make sure they meet all my requirements for a fully field-ready piece of attack hardware. pic.twitter.com/lMVBv5RRjwSeptember 29, 2019
It's supposed to be a white hat product that can be used by researchers and security personnel who need to penetrate security systems. The firmware that enables all of this can also be wiped forensically, bringing it to a "regular cable" state.
A product page has also already been set up by Hak5, which is one of the manufacturing partners, which sheds more light on the O.MG cable's functionality:
"The O.MG Cable allows new payloads to be created, saved, and transmitted entirely remotely. The cable is built with Red Teams in mind with features like additional boot payloads, no USB enumeration until payload execution, and the ability to forensically erase the firmware, which causes the cable to fall entirely back to an innocuous state. Note that, these are only the features that are revealed so far."
(Via- Gizmodo)
