If the mobile device is connected (typically via USB) to a charging station or a PC, for example to charge the device's battery, then a compromised or malicious charging station or PC could attempt to exploit the mobile device via the connection[1].
Previous demonstrations have included:
Products from Cellebrite and Grayshift purportedly can use physical access to the data port to unlock the passcode on some iOS devices[5].
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S0315 | DualToy |
DualToy side loads malicious or risky apps to both Android and iOS devices via a USB connection.[6] |
| S0312 | WireLurker |
WireLurker monitors for iOS devices connected via USB to an infected OSX computer and installs downloaded third-party applications or automatically generated malicious applications onto the device.[7] |
| ID | Mitigation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M1012 | Enterprise Policy |
Enterprise policies should prevent enabling USB debugging on Android devices unless specifically needed (e.g., if the device is used for application development). |
| M1003 | Lock Bootloader | |
| M1001 | Security Updates | |
| M1006 | Use Recent OS Version |
Newer OS versions generally will include security patches against discovered vulnerabilities that become known to the vendor. Additionally, iOS 11.4.1 and higher introduce USB Restricted Mode, which under certain conditions disables data access through the device's charging port (making the port only usable for power), likely preventing this technique from working.[8] |
| M1011 | User Guidance |
Users should be advised not to use public charging stations or computers to charge their devices. Instead, users should be issued a charger acquired from a trustworthy source. Users should be advised not to click on device prompts to trust attached computers unless absolutely necessary. |