Customers are being cautioned by the FBI not to use public phone charging stations to prevent infecting their devices with malware.
A tweet from the FBI’s Denver bureau last week claimed that malicious actors are using public USB ports, such as those seen at airports and shopping centers, to disseminate malware and tracking software. The organization did not offer any particular instances.
The organization said in the tweet to “use an electrical outlet and carry your own charger and USB cord.”
When a device’s battery is extremely low, many people find public charging stations appealing; nonetheless, security professionals have long expressed worries about the risk. To characterize the issue, researchers came up with the term “juice jacking” in 2011.
In 2017, Drew Paik, who was previously employed at security company Authentic8, told CNN that “just by plugging your phone into a [compromised] power strip or charger, your device is now infected, and that compromises all your data.”
Data can be sent from your phone to other devices using the same wire that charges it. For example, you can transfer images from your iPhone to your computer by connecting it to your Mac via the charging cable.
As Paik previously told CNN, there is no limit to the information that may be stolen by a hacker once a port is hijacked. This applies to all of your contacts, emails, texts, and images.
According to Vikki Migoya, public affairs officer for the FBI’s Denver bureau, “the FBI regularly provides reminders and public service announcements in conjunction with our partners.” Migoya spoke with CNN. “The American public was kindly reminded to exercise caution and safety, particularly when traveling.”
Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission updated a blog post on Tuesday, alerting readers to the possibility that a compromised charging port might enable a hostile actor to lock a device or retrieve passwords and personal information.
The FCC blog post states that “in certain cases, criminals may have intentionally left cables plugged in at charging stations.” “Infected cables have even reportedly been distributed as promotional gifts,” according to reports.