In a prior article, I provided some detail on the NSA’s ANT catalog which included a wide range of hardware and software hacks. Some of these included bugged cables with their own RF transmitter used to load malware and exfiltrate data from target computers.
So, the existence of cable hacks is a documented fact. One cybersecurity store sells both a version of this hacked cable as well as a detector which can identify any known type of hacked USB cable. This is a legitimate company selling legal tools commonly used to test corporation’s computer security as part of an external security audit.
You should note that the malicious USB cable for sale in the store uses WiFi, whereas the COTTONMOUTH malicious cable used by the NSA uses a custom protocol that would not be visible on the WiFi connection list of your phone or pc.
However, anyone concerned about the risk of hacked USB cables can take advantage of the malicious cable detector which retails for about $40 plus shipping at the time this article was written.
My general recommendation is to purchase your cables and other computer equipment in a store if possible, instead of online retailers if you are concerned about the risk of tampering.
References:
Hak5. (n.d.). Malicious Cable Detector by O.MG. Hak5. https://shop.hak5.org/products/malicious-cable-detector-by-o-mg
Hak5. (n.d.). O.MG Cable. Hak5. https://shop.hak5.org/products/omg-cable
ANT catalog. (2023, April 7). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANT_catalog
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