Researchers tested BadPower attacks in 35 fast charging models out of 234 available in the market and it turns out 18 models from 8 vendors showcased vulnerability to the attack.
Recently, Chinese researchers at Tencent Security Xuanwu Lab discovered a firmware vulnerability found in fast chargers that can be exploited both physically and digitally. The technique known as BadPower can cause damage to charge mechanics, melt components, and also set your device on fire causing it to become a safety hazard.
In the last few years, fast chargers have taken over the industry ensuing their convenience and expediency in comparison to USB chargers. The latter, however, takes hours to fully charge a device. But the current technology can provide up to 12 or maximum 20 volts or in some cases, even more depending on the limiting charging time to minutes.
How does BadPower corrupt fast chargers?
The researchers explain a ‘fast charging operation.’ in a blog post in the Chinese language. In this case, a power supply terminal (fast charger) connects to the power receiving terminal (device) via cable. When they are connected the supply terminal basically ‘negotiates’ a charging speed with the receiving terminal based on the device’s capabilities. The negotiation is carried out by a special firmware that also handles and stores a set of programs to control the whole charging process.
The bottom line is, that the whole protocol not only includes power but also data transmission. Intruders can use this to their benefit by altering certain parameters in the process that will lead the power supply terminal to deliver more volta ..
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