Bob Yirka -- Tech Xplore
A team of security experts at the University of Florida working with security audit company CertiK has found that a certain class of cyberattacks could cause a smartphone to catch fire via its wireless charger.
The team posted a paper describing their research and results on the arXiv preprint server.
Inductive chargers are devices that can be used to charge a smartphone or other device without the need for plugging in a cable. Such devices work by making use of electromagnetic fields to transfer energy from one device to another through induction.
For a smartphone to be charged properly on such a device, it must communicate with the charger through a Qi communication-based feedback control system. For a wireless charger to work, it must be connected to an AC outlet.
But the charger, like a phone, cannot plug directly into the wall; it plugs instead into an adapter. And this, the researchers suggest, is where the system's vulnerabilities lie.
They have found through testing that by attaching an intermediary device to the adapter, disruptions can be made to the Qi communication-based feedback control system, resulting in signals that can override controls that stop overcharging, which can lead to overheating, and in some cases a fire. They call such an attack a "VoltSchemer."(more)