Warning! Cigarettes Can Be Used To Hack Computers

Recently, different security experts have demonstrated that how easy it is to hack any computer just with an electronic cigarette. So, beware and avoid connecting it to your PC to charge.

Warning! Cigarettes Can Be Used To Hack Computers

The recent attack of ransomware WannaCry has made IT security one of the main concerns of users, who are now more aware of the dangers that lurk their devices and try to protect themselves with all the tools available to them. However, the attackers are most imaginative and lack the time to devise new threats capable of circumventing the most powerful security controls.

For this reason, it should not be surprising that they have now discovered how to hack a computer with an electronic cigarette. This has been revealed by security researcher Ross Bevington in a presentation at BSides London. The expert explains that this device can be used to attack a PC, to interfere with Internet traffic or to trick the computer by impersonating a keyboard.

As you probably already know, e-cigars also work with a battery that is charged through a USB cable. They can do so directly plugged into the current through an adapter, but many users connect it to a USB port on the computer. But, in this second case, the actual danger lies.

According to Bevington explained in his speech, cybercriminals can modify the electronic cigarette to hack the PC when they connect to charge. To carry out the attack it was necessary that the victim’s equipment was unlocked, but the expert points out that it is not an indispensable requirement in all attacks, so some can be carried out even with the computer locked.

FourOctets, another security engineer, has posted a video on his Twitter account where you can see how a modified e-cigar interacts with a computer by plugging it into the USB port.

The expert added to the electronic cigarette a chip that allows it to communicate with the PC as if it were a keyboard or a mouse and, when plugged in, sends commands to Windows to open the notebook and display a message. FourOctets explains that with less than 20 lines of code it is possible for the device to download a file and run it on the system.

Sorry if I get vape pens banned at your work place...... pic.twitter.com/VYhIIvyDEx

— Wll buy derby ticket (@FourOctets) May 25, 2017

However, if you have an e-cigar and want to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is best to load it directly into the stream using an adapter and avoid connecting it to your PC.

So, what do you think about this new cyber threat? Simply share your views and thoughts in the comment section below.