7 ms·
You could alternatively use a USB condom; just a cable with the data lines completely removed. (Well, for an iPhone they'd need to be tied together with a resi
by nwh 13y ago
You could alternatively use a USB condom; just a cable with the data lines completely removed.
(Well, for an iPhone they'd need to be tied together with a resistor in the other end, but the idea is still the same.)
- rainforest 13y agoThe attack relies on the phone being unlocked for it to give up its UDID (and allow them to push the signed malware to it). If your phone is locked (with passcode) it won't be able to attack it as reliably. You can observe the same effect sometimes with iTunes (it complains the phone can't be read until it's unlocked). They did mention a fix is coming in iOS 7 (explicit approval prompt on the device), but until then your "USB condom" is probably as good a stopgap as any.
- threeseed 13y agoIt has been introduced in the latest iOS 7 beta 4 and asks if you want to trust each computer it is connected to.
- nwh 13y agoIt's fairly standard for me to use my iPhone while it is plugged in though. I wouldn't rely on the lockscreen presenting any real security in the face of unknown attacks.
- prof_hobart 13y agoAt least it's providing security against a known attack.
- voltagex_ 13y agoIsn't that closer to a USB vasectomy? (not a sentence I thought I'd ever write)
- snowwrestler 13y agoSo where can I buy such a cable? I don't feel up to performing surgery on a USB cable myself.
- pyre 13y agoI don't know, but I remember seeing USB cables that split into two male adapters a while back. The idea was that one of them had power + data lines, and the other only had data lines. This was at a time when most USB ports strictly adhered to the standard (i.e. limited power to 500mA per port). If someone still had one of these lying around, they could just use the male adapter that had only data lines (IIRC, that connector was red to distinguish it from the other one).
- ISL 13y agoBuy a cheap one. USB 2 and 3 aren't any faster at power transfer. Cut it open. There are four wires and a braided shield inside. Look up the USB spec to figure out which wires to cut. If in doubt, cut the wires that are not black and red. In general, red is power and black is ground. Voila. Surgery. If it doesn't work, you're out a $3 cable.
- yuhong 13y agoI think USB 3.0 does provide more power but most smartphones and tablets don't support it.
- analog31 13y agoWhile you're at it, add an indicator to show if the data lines are active. Could this be as simple as LED and resistor?