| Phone charging via USB on work computer Not sure if the security forum is really the right place to ask, it's more of a privacy question, and wasn't sure what forum to post in. If this one is incorrect, I apologize and please delete.
Was thinking about using my USB cable to charge my iPhone at work (employer doesn't have a problem with people doing this), but I was curious, since the phone pictures folder shows up in "My Computer" would there be a way for the network administrator to remotely access the photos on my phone without me noticing? |
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 AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ | just get a $5 adapter and plug it into the computer powerstrip. |
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| said by AVD:just get a $5 adapter and plug it into the computer powerstrip.
Yes, the option to use the outlet is there too, it was just an interesting question I thought about and wondered if someone could enlighten me on the subject. |
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 Name GamePremium
join:2002-07-07
North Myrtle Beach, SC
kudos:6
2 edits | »security.stackexchange.com/quest···-attacks
See also juice jacking...
"You can find out if your phone may be vulnerable. Plug it in to a USB charger and see what comes up on the computer. If it prompts you to view the files without any kind of password, then chance are that device would be vulnerable."
"My smartphone runs Android 2.1 and when I connect it to my computer a screen comes up on my phone asking me whether I want to charge the phone or transfer files. If I simply choose to charge the phone, the phone doesn’t show up in My Computer and therefore you can’t view or modify its data. I’d guess that most Android phones would exhibit similar behaviour. You have to mount the phone (sdcard) in order to read or write."
"However your article had me thinking that it is possible to somehow read data simply by charging the phone, as if the phone would expose information even if it is simply charging. Perhaps it is not the case then."
»krebsonsecurity.com/2011/08/bewa···jacking/ |
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| said by Name Game:http://security.stackexchange.com/questions/7687/protecting-cellphones-from-usb-attacks
See also juice jacking...
You can find out if your phone may be vulnerable. Plug it in to a USB charger and see what comes up on the computer. If it prompts you to view the files without any kind of password, then chance are that device would be vulnerable.
My smartphone runs Android 2.1 and when I connect it to my computer a screen comes up on my phone asking me whether I want to charge the phone or transfer files. If I simply choose to charge the phone, the phone doesn’t show up in My Computer and therefore you can’t view or modify its data. I’d guess that most Android phones would exhibit similar behaviour. You have to mount the phone (sdcard) in order to read or write.
However your article had me thinking that it is possible to somehow read data simply by charging the phone, as if the phone would expose information even if it is simply charging. Perhaps it is not the case then.
»krebsonsecurity.com/2011/08/bewa···jacking/
Good links, Name Game  , though you should quote a cut and paste from 2 different commenters to the article there you posted. I though it was your words until I read the article and comments too. Made more sense of what you posted above, "your article had me thinking".. then I thought, "What article does Name Game refer in this thread in reply to who?" Read up thread and didn't find it. Just showing how it's confusing when you don't make clear what words/ideas belong to others and not you. Hitting the (") key isn't that hard if blockquote is too much. I wouldn't mention but I've seen this routinely and it's hard to follow so mention it. Be kind of the ole guys around here, k? 
Moving on...
quote:
“One thing we discovered: On certain devices, if you power them completely off, then charge them, they don’t expose the data,” Markus said.
It was worth reading the link to find that. Thanks. All the devices I have don't appear even as attached (in disks list or anywhere) when powered off while charging via USB.
-Jim |
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Name GamePremium
join:2002-07-07
North Myrtle Beach, SC
kudos:6 |  yet some phone when powered all the way off..do not charge which is why I did not add the bit of info.... take that from this old fart. |
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AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ | reply to JALevinworth
said by JALevinworth : quote:
“One thing we discovered: On certain devices, if you power them completely off, then charge them, they don’t expose the data,” Markus said.
It was worth reading the link to find that. Thanks. All the devices I have don't appear even as attached (in disks list or anywhere) when powered off while charging via USB. -Jim Do they show up as a device on the USB chain? My motorola nextel phone won't charge unless it is installed.
--
--Standard disclaimers apply.--
google this "(sqrt(cos(x))*cos(200*x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(9-x^2), -sqrt(9-x^2)" |
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 beerbumobscurum per obscuriusPremium
join:2000-05-06
Eastern PA | reply to celicynd
said by celicynd:Not sure if the security forum is really the right place to ask, it's more of a privacy question, and wasn't sure what forum to post in. If this one is incorrect, I apologize and please delete.
Was thinking about using my USB cable to charge my iPhone at work (employer doesn't have a problem with people doing this), but I was curious, since the phone pictures folder shows up in "My Computer" would there be a way for the network administrator to remotely access the photos on my phone without me noticing?
here's a thought.. in "My Computer", look for the drive letter the computer assigned to the phone, right click and select Eject..
then you'll be charging and nobody can access the drive on the phone through your computer. |
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 psafuxPremium,VIP
join:2005-11-10
kudos:2 | reply to celicynd
or just take out the sim / data card. |
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AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ | said by psafux:or just take out the sim / data card.
from an iPhone? |
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TheMGPremium
join:2007-09-04
Canada
kudos:1 Reviews:
 ·TekSavvy DSL
| reply to celicynd
Another option would be to obtain a short, cheap, USB extension cable and cutting the two data wires, leaving only the ground and 5V wires intact, which would allow you to power the device but will not allow the computer to "talk" to it or even recognize the device.
said by celicynd:but I was curious, since the phone pictures folder shows up in "My Computer" would there be a way for the network administrator to remotely access the photos on my phone without me noticing?
Of course they can. They own and control the computer, they can do just about anything and yes they can access USB devices connected to that computer, if the USB device (such as your phone) does not block the computer from accessing such data. |
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psafuxPremium,VIP
join:2005-11-10
kudos:2 | reply to AVD
never used one, know nothing about them. |
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AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ | said by psafux:never used one, know nothing about them.
iPhones have no removable batteries or storage.
--
--Standard disclaimers apply.--
google this "(sqrt(cos(x))*cos(200*x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(9-x^2), -sqrt(9-x^2)" |
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psafuxPremium,VIP
join:2005-11-10
kudos:2 | duly noted.
now back to your regularly scheduled thread. |
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| reply to AVD
Not for me. On my phone, the screen doesn't show up asking if I want to sync or charge either. It just goes to the charging screen. I've actually been powering off when charging via USB for some time now thinking it might be "safer", but never read anything either way.
As the article said, "on certain devices" it doesn't expose during charge so it's worth testing your own. |
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| said by AVD:Do they show up as a device on the USB chain? My motorola nextel phone won't charge unless it is installed.
Clarification: "Not for me" above was in reply to this. BTW, my phone is a specialty phone for sight impaired so might be non-standard. |
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 NetFixerFreedom is NOT freePremium
join:2004-06-24
The 'Boro
 ·Vonage
 ·Cingular Wireless
 ·Comcast
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to celicynd
What happens when you attach a cell phone via USB to a computer really depends on the phone. Since you have an iPhone (and iPhones are designed to share everything with everybody), you can be pretty sure that your IT admin people will have no problems accessing anything on the iPhone.
With my Samsung phones, if Bluetooth is enabled (and it usually is to make syncing between the phones easier), I get a prompt on the phone asking if I want to enable the USB interface (these are not "smart" phones, and they don't allow the Bluetooth and USB interfaces to be active at the same time). If I say no, then the phone will charge, but it will be invisible to the USB port (except for the current draw). If Bluetooth is not enabled (or I answer the question with yes), then I get another prompt on the phone asking if I want to connect as a Media Player, as a PC Studio (Samsung's phone control software) client, or as a Mass Storage device. If I just hit the phone's cancel button at that point, then once again, it only charges. I don't have any recent iPhone experience (I test drove one and hated it), but I don't think that it has any such options available (but you would know the answer to that yourself).
FWIW, here are some screen shots from Windows Device Manager and Windows Explorer showing my Samsung Impression attached in its different modes (the nice thing about "not so smart" phones is that they allow me to be smart for them):
Charging mode (phone is not visible here)
Mass Storage mode (phone shows as a disk drive)
Mass Storage mode makes mem card visible
Media Player mode (shows up as phone name)
Media Player mode makes phone and mem card visible
PC Studio mode (phone shows as a modem)
PC Studio mode allows tethered internet access
PC Studio mode also allows access to the phone's scheduler, phonebook, etc.
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History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
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