Why You Should Stop Using Other People’s iPhone Cables

“The world’s most dangerous USB cable just got more powerful,” runs the new ad—a serious warning for anyone borrowing an iPhone or iPad cable. If you do plug a cable like this into your device, you won’t know you’ve been attacked until it’s too late.

According to pen-test site Hak5, “you used to need a million-dollar budget to get a cable like this.” Now you just need $139.99 and a PayPal account. Meet the O.MG Lightning cable, a perfect enough replica of the Apple original that you wouldn’t know the difference. But this one is way more high-tech than the original.

O.MG’s attack cables first came to prominence at DEFCON back in 2019. At the time, juice jacking was generating headlines . You’ll remember the hysteria. Don’t use public charging stations for fear of losing all your data. The idea being that the helpful USB socket you plugged your cable into was secretly connected to a hidden computer.

“A free charge could end up draining your bank account,” the LA DA’s office warned. Despite the hysteria, it’s good advice. You really shouldn't plug your unlocked phone into a random USB socket. If you need to charge in public, use an actual charger. Preferably one of your own. USB cables are designed for data, remember.

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