The USB ports found on all kinds of devices today can be used to inject malware. A woman had the unpleasant experience while recharging her sex toy on a computer.
Nowadays, it is no longer uncommon for electronic devices to have a USB port for charging. However, unlike a smartphone, you don’t necessarily expect data transfer to take place when you connect your devices to a computer’s USB port. This is even less the case when it comes to a vibrator! A Reddit user named Vegetableluck recently shared her mishap. Turns out her toy — the Sexology Pussy Power 8-Function Rechargeable Bullet Vibrator from mega-retailer Spencer’s, if you’re ever curious — was infected with malware. The latter was equipped with a flash memory with which it is obviously possible to communicate via USB. Also, when she plugged her sex toy into her computer via the device’s USB port to recharge with energy, it attempted to infect the PC. The incident was reported last week by security company Malwarebytes, whose antivirus fortunately managed to detect and block the malware.
The vibrator was infected with Lumma Stealer malware – also known as Lumma C2. Sold on the Dark Web as a subscription since 2022, it was developed to target cryptocurrency wallets, browser extensions and two-factor authentication (2FA). It retrieves sensitive information and transmits it to a server controlled by hackers. It steals cookies, usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, login history and crypto wallet data, among other things. At the end of 2023, Lumma was especially noted for having been one of the first malicious programs to reactivate expired session cookies for Google accounts, which allows it to access the Gmail account, but also its search history and their banking details. In short, the story could have ended very badly if the antivirus had not spotted and intercepted the malicious program.
It is not yet clear how the malware infected the adult toy. On the other hand, its manufacturer, Spencer, confirmed that the problem was known and that the matter was already under investigation. This story is therefore far from being an isolated case! Also, be careful of your computer’s USB ports when you use it to charge other devices, and when charging your devices in general. There’s nothing to worry about if you’re using a good old electrical outlet, as no data transfer can take place while charging. On the other hand, if you absolutely must use a computer or recharge your devices in a public or unsecured place, via a USB port, we advise you to use a USB condom to avoid catching a virus. Sold for a handful of euros, this type of accessory allows you to block the data lines of the connection so that only electricity passes through. It would be a shame to catch a cyber-STI!