Skip to main content

Be careful before using your PC to charge up your e-cigarette for your next vaping fix

researcher shows e cigarettes can be source of malware vaping guide header 640x0
Not a day goes by, it sometimes seems, that we don’t hear about another way that hackers can attack our systems and steal our information. Keeping a system locked down and secure can seem like an impossible task when it can be vulnerable in ways that we’d never suspect.

One recent example is some work done by researcher Ross Bevington, who showed that the seemingly innocuous and decidedly low-tech e-cigarette can be used to break into a machine, as ExtremeTech reports. Don’t panic yet, however, because it’s not the vaporous aspects of e-cigarettes themselves that are at fault.

Related Videos

Bevington demonstrated the method of attack using an e-cigarette in a video that he shared on Twitter:

Sorry if I get vape pens banned at your work place…… pic.twitter.com/VYhIIvyDEx

— Wll buy derby ticket (@FourOctets) May 25, 2017

Basically, e-cigarettes require power to function, given that they heat up liquids to create vapors that users inhale as a substitute for burning tobacco. As with many devices today, some rechargeable e-cigarettes come equipped with USB connections to draw power from PCs. That USB connection provides a handy way to keep vaping when you can’t get to a wall socket.

The problem is that any device that can plug into a USB port can hide electronics that can host malware that executes commands when plugged in and wreak havoc on a system. PCs have been designed to make it easy to run programs when USB drives are plugged in and that very convenience can make a system vulnerable to attack. The problem is so severe that some people are making tools that sit between a USB port and the outside world, forming an elaborate barrier.

Of course, e-cigarettes aren’t dangerous out of the box, and if you only use ones that you’ve purchased and don’t let random people plug theirs into your PC, then you’re probably safe. Rather, the real concern is that you could acquire an e-cigarette from a sketchy source that’s been modified to include PC-like smarts.

USB-based malware attacks are nothing new, nor are tools that can literally fry a motherboard merely by plugging in what looks like a typical USB flash drive. While modern systems do have some safeguards built in to stop code from executing, plenty of examples exist that enable these systems to be bypassed. The simplest response is to follow a strict policy of never plugging anything into your USB port if you’re not 100-percent certain it’s safe — and that includes waiting until you get to a plug before charging up your e-cigarette for a quick fix.

Editors' Recommendations

After a seven-year wait, PCI Express 4.0 will turbocharge your next PC
Biostar Z170GT7

A new iteration of the humble PCI Express (PCIe) port could open up the floodgates for even more powerful graphics cards in the future, by increasing the available bandwidth by 100 percent. The new PCI Express 4.0 standard allows for the transfer of up to 64GBps in a duplex ×16 port.

PCI Express technology has improved by leaps and bounds over the past decade and a half. It's gone through several iterations, each one doubling available bandwidth. That has helped improve the capabilities of single and multiple graphics card configurations, and has also enabled the use of high-speed solid state drives (SSD) in form factors like M.2.

Read more
The FDA may be reversing its stance on e-cigarettes and vapes
fda to release sweeping new rules tomorrow regulate e cigarettes cigarette car

We may be in danger of whiplash from all the back and forth the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has subjected us to when it comes to its opinions on e-cigarettes The good news, however, is we may not be in (as much) danger when it comes to e-cigarettes themselves. That is the most recent status of the FDA's rules and regulations when it comes to e-cigs and vaping products.

As per a recent press release, the Administration noted a pretty significant change in its e-cigarette policy, which includes relaxing restrictions on these kinds of products (its previous policy might've rendered them nearly obsolete). Instead, the FDA will focus on cutting down on the number of combustible cigarettes and tobacco in use.

Read more
Ezviz Mini Trooper wirelessly watches over your home, up to 9 months on 1 charge
ezviz mini trooper announced header

Ezviz, the company behind the very affordable Mini 360 Plus that we rather liked, has announced a new home security camera that continues its trend of providing competitive features at low prices. Called the Mini Trooper, it’s weatherproof and wire-free – designed for use both indoors and out. Its base feature set isn’t terribly different from other similar smart cameras, but it does have several features that make it a bit more unique, starting with a battery that lasts up to nine months, according to the company.

Another distinctive capability of the Ezviz family is that users can easily integrate the Mini Trooper alongside additional Ezviz cameras. The same mobile app can manage multiple cameras from any of the company’s product lines, so if you have a wired camera currently installed in your home, you can add a Mini Trooper with minimal fuss.

Read more