So, TIL [Today I Learned], that a USB charger by Energizer has, for the last two years, had a back door open. According to CERT and this MarketWatch announcement. Which charger? The one below.
These are the reasons why I have no problem with Apple dictating what can and can’t be on its own systems. When the interconnectedness does not rely on the user, and a simple USB charger can open your computer, and by proxy [quite literally] open others up to additional security issues; you have a problem.
Some will argue that anyone who gets infected or hacked by proxy is just stupid and deserved it, but not everyone is sitting around babysitting the minutiae of their security profile on every device they touch. Then again, they also wouldn’t have prevented this trojan because it was integrated into a known and trusted brand. Most people don’t understand the functionality of a firewall, or the importance of blocking unknown [and sometimes known] processes that might access a port. So, when they installed the device, and things happen around them in a giant swirl of operation and installation, you get:
From the CERT notice… “If the user selects “Unblock,” then the system will be at risk. Also note that if the application is unblocked, this will cause Windows to add rundll32.exe to the Windows Firewall exceptions list. This means that any DLL that is executed through the rundll32.exe mechanism will be excluded from the Windows Firewall, regardless of the DLL or port used.”
Why is a device, connected to your computer, accessing anything outside of the computer in the first place? How did this get past quality control or any software audit? I just don’t get it.
CrunchGear picked this up today [the 9th] and asked the same question I did… WHA? Why?