CIB warns netizens of smartphone hacking risk

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has warned the public to be vigilant when charging their smartphones in public, saying hackers might modify charging cables to skim phone owners’ personal information.

According to a CIB Facebook post on Monday, hackers can use remote access points to control a skimming chip that is embedded in every type of charger port.

The chip can be used by hackers to skim personal information from smartphones, including passwords, financial data, and bank account numbers, or to infect them with malware.

People who need to charge their phones in public should be cautious when borrowing a stranger’s charger or connecting their charger to public charging ports, the post read.

The concern about hacking cables surfaced after a Jan 8 post made on a…