‘World’s best hacker’ issues urgent warning to anyone who shares iPhone chargers

A man known as the 'best hacker in the world' has issued a stark warning to anyone who shares a charger to power up their iPhone.

It's a situation that we've all been in. We've left our charger somewhere, or worse, it's broken, and we have to share one from a mate.

And then if we're super lucky, we come across a charger that's been left lying about that we can claim as our own. Or as I like to call it, the law of dibs in its truest form.

But doing this opening yourself up to risk, according to Ryan Montgomery.

As an ethical hacker who spends his time helping people out, Montgomery has previously spoken out about the dangers of the dark web and what you can find on there.

Now, he's taken to his Instagram account to warn his more than one million followers about why you should think twice before using a random cable to charge your iPhone - or any phone, for that matter.

Phone cable warning

Showing off two charging cables, Montgomery says: "One of these two identical looking chargers can cause havoc on your computer or phone."

In the video, the hacker plugs the 'ordinary looking cable' in to his computer.

"With this cable plugged in I have full access to this computer," he explains.

He clicks a programme on his phone which opens up the remote access to the laptop, saying: "This is a fully functional cable, you can still charge a phone with it.

"Never trust a cable that's not yours and if you're really concerned, get a USB data blocker."

What the cable does

Launched in 2019, the so-called 'O.MG cable' is labelled the world's 'most dangerous USB cable'.

Costing up to $200 per device, it looks like an ordinary wire to charge your phone. But it isn't. Instead, it's fitted with a web serve implant and has Wi-Fi access.

The cable's creator, Mike Grover, said on their invention: "It’s a cable that looks identical to the other cables you already have.

"But inside each cable, I put an implant that’s got a web server, USB communications, and Wi-Fi access. So it plugs in, powers up, and you can connect to it."

First creating them in his garage, Grover said he would create one in around eight hours of labour time.

Will you really be hacked? Well, the chances of leaving a $200 cable around are low - unless a hacker is after a specific person. And even then, there's not a tonne of these out there.

But what they do do is make us question what we're doing in a world where we rely on technology for everything, with what feels like our entire lives at risk, should someone gain access to our private passwords and usernames.