This article explains about BadPower attack which can hack and burn your device. This BadPower Attack is a new type of malware that attacks through fast charging can hack and burn your device.
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| BadPower Attack |
We all love the fast charging capabilities found in many modern smartphones. Yet there are many cases of hacking and damage to smartphones.
A certain type of attack is also seen carried out on fast chargers. Chinese security researchers say; the Fast chargers damage the firmware. And so the structure of connected devices gets damaged too. The damage to the phone attached to the fast charger can range from melting to catching fire.
According to a report from Xuanwu Lab last week, the attack mechanism goes by the name BadPower attack. The laboratory is the research arm of the Chinese technology company Tencent.
According to the analysts, the BadPower attack corrupts fast charger firmware. With the help of fast chargers, charging time gets reduced and phones get charged faster.
How do fast chargers work?
Fast chargers are like normal chargers but work on special firmware. This firmware understands the connected device. It adjusts the charging speed.
If the phone doesn't support fast charging features, the charger provides standard 5V. But if the phone supports large charging inputs, Fast Charger can send 12V, 20V, and above for faster charging.
Way of BadPower attack
The BadPower technique changes the default charging parameters of the existing chargers. Thus, the charger starts to send more power, which means the device can melt, ignite, and explode. Such a BadPower attack is undetectable and very dangerous. Investigators found that 18 of the 35 popular chargers might get attacked.
According to researchers, most brands can solve BadPower attack by updating the fast charger 's software. Whereas, in the future, vendors may include the following checks in the design of fast chargers.
Most chargers are capable of supplying 5 V power. But the supply can be increased up to 20 V by heating. This high voltage can damage the hardware of the power supply and leads to the BadPower attack.
Such a voltage change causes incorrect communication between the charger and other devices. The hacked fast charger acts as an alternative to the 5 V power transmission without contact.
The method used by the attacker is unsuspicious. The attacker hacks the fast charger 's software. For this, the attacker uses a special device that mimics the phone. Then, whenever any device gets connected to a hacked fast charger, it is vulnerable to this type.
How to prevent our mobile from this BadPower attack?
- It is a good idea to check the device connected to the USB port before accepting the software changes.
- Also, researchers tell users not to share chargers and power banks with others. They recommend not using fast charging alternatives to charge mobile faster.
- Further evidence has emerged that this type of BadPower attack has taken place before. The main reason for this is the use of unwanted websites.
Yet, the researchers have notified the affected companies about the BadPower attack. And they are working with these manufacturers to prevent unforeseen BadPower attack. Researchers have also recommended these companies to add load protection to fast chargers.
Fast charging technology in mobile phones is growing at a rapid rate. As we all love these features we get addicted to smartphones. And recently, we saw Oppo and Realme announcing the 125W fast charging solution. This 125W fast charging solution will get introduced in smartphones later this year.
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