Hackers can now make phone chargers destroy your phone or set it on FIRE – how to stay safe

A SECURITY vulnerability that could let hackers set fire to smartphone fast chargers has been revealed.

Researchers from a lab in China demonstrated how irreversible damage could be done to any gadget hooked up to the chargers.

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According to , researchers from Tencent Security Labs found a way to overwrite firmware in the USB ports of 18 different fast charger models.

They conducted their experiment on 35 different types of fast charger but didn't reveal brand names or explain how to conduct the hack.

Fast chargers are popular because they enable devices to charge at faster speeds.

They have basic bits of code inside so that they can receive information from the device they charge and give it the power it needs.

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However, the Tencent security experts were able to manipulate this code and use an exploit called “BadPower”.

This resulted in the chargers sending a much too high voltage to a device, causing them to break or even .

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To avoid this happening to you, Tencent has advised not sharing phone chargers.

It also advised manufacturers to work on disabling any firmware that has been tampered with.

The researchers didn't make any claims of hackers trying to set fire to phones in a non-controlled enviornment.

There's also reports that fast charging isn't great for the longevity of batteries, so if you want to be super cautious you could always just use a standard charger.

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In other news, unsuspecting WhatsApp users are being warned about 'fake' versions of the app that could leave them vulnerable to hackers.

Fortnite mega-star Ninja has ditched TikTok over issues with the way the controversial app handles user data.

And, Instagram will soon recommend accounts you should block as part of a new update, according to reports.

Have you ever had any problems with your phone charger? Let us know in the comments...

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