A simple search on Amazon or any other online retailer will reveal that consumers have a variety of USB-C cables to choose from, ranging in price from a few dollars to over $100. Price depends primarily on factors such as length, build quality, compliance with various parts of the USB-C specification, and brand.
While USB-C may be the most flexible connection for digital devices, it can also be confusing, so it's worth understanding the complexities of this evolving standard. Its main goal is to simplify operations and allow consumers to use a single cable to transmit data, audio, video and power.
However, cable specifications are not always the same, and packaging is often vague about the cable's capabilities. In addition, USB-C cables may hide malicious circuits that compromise device security.
At first glance, USB-C cables look much the same. However, some cables have active circuitry inside them. With devices like Lumafield's Neptune industrial X-ray CT scanner, we can see that the internal design of a USB-C cable like Apple's Thunderbolt 4 is much more complex than that of an AmazonBasics cable, which doesn't even use all the pins on the USB-C connector (pictured below).
Recently, Lumafield investigated an O.MG USB-C cable. It's another example of how complex electronics can be hidden inside an ordinary-looking USB-C connector. However, the O.MG cable is a niche product designed by Mike Grover to conduct security research and raise awareness of potentially malicious hardware that users may find in the wild.
John Bruner of Lumafield said that many people are understandably worried after seeing the results of previous scans that a seemingly ordinary USB connector may contain hardware that can inject malicious code, record keystrokes and extract personal data.
It is worth noting that the clever design of O.MG cables makes it easy to overlook such circuits when using standard detection methods. An ordinary two-dimensional X-ray scan quickly revealed the antenna and microcontroller, but after a three-dimensional scan and adjusting the visualization parameters, it was discovered that a second set of wires led to a second chip stacked on top of the microcontroller (pictured below).
Bruner believes that CT scanning is quickly becoming an important security tool to verify the integrity of hardware during the manufacturing process before it has the opportunity to cause harm to individuals, companies and critical infrastructure. Undetected supply chain attacks can have serious consequences, as the recent bombing of pagers targeting Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon demonstrates.
Fortunately, the average consumer doesn't need to worry about explosives inside the cables, and products like O.MG cables are often too expensive for the general public, with these specialized devices costing upwards of $200. Even the EvilCrowWind Cable, a more affordable alternative that hides the powerful ESP32-S3SoC and features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, still costs over $60.
Bruner recommends using certified USB-C cables and avoiding public USB charging ports if possible.