Malicious HDMI Cables Steals Photos, Videos, and Location Data

Gandalf_The_Grey

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Apr 24, 2016
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John Bumstead, who works for a company called 404Media that fixes and sells used electronics, found an iPhone-to-HDMI adapter that seemed normal at first. However, the app that came with it was tricky because it asked users to scan a QR code.

This code leads to an ad-filled website, prompting downloads of an invasive app that requests various permissions, collects data, and sends it to China.

Bumstead tweeted about a spy-themed lightning cable, and unlike the HDMI adapter, this cable is a knockoff but resembles Apple’s design.

MG, the researcher behind the malicious Lightning cables, included the risky adapter, anticipating users installing questionable apps.
 

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