Electronic cigarette could infect computers with malware

The electronic cigarette is seen by many as “better” for our health, but could instead infect our computers, becoming thus an unusual malware source when connected to the PCs and charge via USB, according to The Guardian.

According to the source, when the e-cigarette is purchased from an unreliable dealer and subsequently connected to your computer, there is a possibility that someone else could gain access to your machine.

A posting on social networking news site Reddit, suggested that at least one person was targeted by such an e-cigarette attack. “One particular executive had a malware infection on his computer from which the source could not be determined,” the user posted.

“After ruling out all conventional ways of infection, IT experts began to explore other possibilities. The e-cigarettes made ​​in China may have malware hardcoded into the charger, and when inserted into a USB port of a computer, the malicious program calls home and infects the system”.

Rik Ferguson, a security consultant at Trend Micro, considered the story entirely credible.
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“Production line malware has been around for several years infecting photo frames, MP3 players and others,” he said, giving the example of a frame produced by Samsung which was delivered with a malware on the software installation disc back in 2008.

Even more worrying is an attack known as “BadUSB” involving reprogramming USB devices at the hardware level. “Very widely spread USB controller chips, including those in thumb drives, have no protection from such reprogramming,” warns SRLabs, a Berlin company which published the code.

Ferguson advises consumers to “use anti-malware programs and use only trusted devices to prevent the threat.”

According to data disclosed in early November by agency Press Association (PA), electronic cigarettes and related equipment as chargers were involved in more than 100 fires in a period of less than 2 years.

1 Response

  1. November 26, 2014

    […] Chiar mai îngrijorător este un atac cunoscut sub numele de “BadUSB” ce implică reprogramarea dispozitivelor USB la nivel hardware. Ferguson sfătuiește utilizatorii să “utilizeze programe anti-malware și sa foloseasca dispozitivele doar de la companii de încredere pentru a preveni astfel pericolul unei infectari.” Source: media blog […]

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