'Bad Actors' Can Hack Free Public Charging Stations to Steal Data and Install Malware, FBI Warns

The warning, which urges the public to use their own charging equipment, comes more than a year after the FCC issued a similar advisory about "juice jacking"

Some free public charging stations may not be safe to use, according to federal officials.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning individuals to avoid using the free public charging stations due to concerns that cyber criminals could hack the system, according to its website.

"Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices that access these ports," the bureau says.

The FBI's Denver office, which tweeted out the warning on Monday, said those looking to charge their phones in public for free should bring their own charging equipment "and use an electrical outlet instead."

The FBI's message comes more than a year and a half after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a similar warning about the practice, known as "juice jacking."

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In the Oct. 2021 bulletin, the FCC said the malware installed on phones through the free phone chargers "can lock a device or export personal data and passwords directly to the perpetrator."

"Criminals can use that information to access online accounts or sell it to other bad actors," the commission added.

"Juice jacking" — coined in 2011 — occurs when a USB cord used to charge a device "opens a pathway" that cyber criminals can utilize, according to Norton Antivirus Protection's blog.

The power supply and the data stream in smartphones pass through the same cable, giving cyber criminals the ability to access information by pairing a device with another through the charging cord, the company says.

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After establishing a "trusted" connection, the information on the victims' phones can then be shared with the person on the other end, Norton says.

The connection is only visible on the end that provides the power, meaning the device owner cannot see what the USB port connects to, according to the blog post.

"So when you plug in the phone, if someone's checking on the other end, they may be able to move data between your device and theirs," the company says.

In addition to accessing personal data, hackers can also install malware onto the impacted device through these free charging ports.

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Norton says the malware can help the cyber criminals gather various types of data, including "GPS location, purchases, social media interactions, photos, and call logs."

Both Norton and the FCC suggest using an AC wall outlet and carrying personal charging equipment to avoid falling victim to juice jacking.

The FCC also recommends carrying a charging-only cable, which it says "prevents data from sending or receiving while charging."

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