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Ask HN: iPad says USB accessory detected when plugging into power

5 points by hereforphone 4y ago

I bought a power strip with USB outlets. This is a no-name brand likely from China. When I plug in my iPad, I got the message above. Is there something shady going on?

warrenm 4y ago
It's a warning that it's not an Apple-approved device It may (or may not) be "shady" It's an especially helpful message when plugging into a not-before-seen computer It's also helpful as a warning that you may not have as high a QC standard for the charging device as you should for your $1000 pocket supercomputer we call a smartphone
- hereforphone 4y ago
  Why would it be a device at all? It's supposed to be a charging outlet.
  - warrenm 4y ago
    Because it's not merely a "charging outlet" ... there's electronics in the charger to convert AC to USB power out :)
    - hereforphone 4y ago
      As I understand it these typically just use the power rails of the USB interface. I've used several AC->USB converters in the past, and they haven't been detected as a device. This is unusual at least in my experience.
      - warrenm 4y ago
        I've yet to see a charger I've bought anywhere not give the warning the first time I plug into it Happens pretty frequently with cables, too
FerretFred 4y ago
Did you buy it from Amazon by any chance?
- hereforphone 4y ago
  I bought it from Amazon in a country that's not the US
barnabees 4y ago
There could be something shady going on but I've seen this message occasionally with my OEM cable. Realistically, what could a secret device in your cable do?
- ridgered4 4y ago
  Couldn't it be a keyboard that delivered a set of keystrokes to retrieve malware by opening a web browser or some other common program?
- derkades 4y ago
  Act as a keyboard ("rubber ducky"), retrieve pictures if allowed, exploit some zero day, ...
pipeline_peak 4y ago
Can you take it apart? Even if it was spying, how could it connect to Wi-Fi. Also how could the OEM connect to it?
- derkades 4y ago
  There are ways, like a cellular modem or LoRaWAN
LarryMade2 4y ago
Maybe a smart-ish charger that can identify Samsung or other tablet for fast charging and iPad see the foreign crosstalk as a potential controller. Also could be a way to encourage sales of apple authorized chargers...
derkades 4y ago
Proper USB power supplies have the USB data pins shorted out, or a special resistor divider configuration to signal power delivey capabilities for Apple devices. No actual USB data communication. I would be very curious what is going on, are you willing to take apart the power supply?

5 points by hereforphone 4y ago

I bought a power strip with USB outlets. This is a no-name brand likely from China. When I plug in my iPad, I got the message above. Is there something shady going on?

warrenm 4y ago

It's a warning that it's not an Apple-approved device It may (or may not) be "shady" It's an especially helpful message when plugging into a not-before-seen computer It's also helpful as a warning that you may not have as high a QC standard for the charging device as you should for your $1000 pocket supercomputer we call a smartphone

hereforphone 4y ago
Why would it be a device at all? It's supposed to be a charging outlet.
- warrenm 4y ago
  Because it's not merely a "charging outlet" ... there's electronics in the charger to convert AC to USB power out :)
  - hereforphone 4y ago
    As I understand it these typically just use the power rails of the USB interface. I've used several AC->USB converters in the past, and they haven't been detected as a device. This is unusual at least in my experience.
    - warrenm 4y ago
      I've yet to see a charger I've bought anywhere not give the warning the first time I plug into it Happens pretty frequently with cables, too

FerretFred 4y ago

Did you buy it from Amazon by any chance?

hereforphone 4y ago
I bought it from Amazon in a country that's not the US

barnabees 4y ago

There could be something shady going on but I've seen this message occasionally with my OEM cable. Realistically, what could a secret device in your cable do?

ridgered4 4y ago
Couldn't it be a keyboard that delivered a set of keystrokes to retrieve malware by opening a web browser or some other common program?
derkades 4y ago
Act as a keyboard ("rubber ducky"), retrieve pictures if allowed, exploit some zero day, ...

pipeline_peak 4y ago

Can you take it apart? Even if it was spying, how could it connect to Wi-Fi. Also how could the OEM connect to it?

derkades 4y ago
There are ways, like a cellular modem or LoRaWAN

LarryMade2 4y ago

Maybe a smart-ish charger that can identify Samsung or other tablet for fast charging and iPad see the foreign crosstalk as a potential controller. Also could be a way to encourage sales of apple authorized chargers...

derkades 4y ago

Proper USB power supplies have the USB data pins shorted out, or a special resistor divider configuration to signal power delivey capabilities for Apple devices. No actual USB data communication. I would be very curious what is going on, are you willing to take apart the power supply?