Police warn shared power banks could transmit malware, but the industry continues to thrive in China

One of the unique successes in China’s sharing economy has been power bank rentals, but police in China have recently warned that the mobile battery packs keeping users’ smartphones charged up could also spread malware.

The online security department of the Ministry of Public Security warned on its official WeChat account on Sunday that power banks could potentially be used to transmit Trojan horses and other types of malware, especially power banks of unknown origin. Once a smartphone is infected, the malware could steal personal information, including contacts, photos and videos, according to a police video.

For now, the threat may not be big. Although the police did not offer any real-world examples of the trick being used, some experts warn that users should be wary of the potential threat.

“If you have a well-motivated adversary, they will be able to access your phone if they take control of the USB port or the power bank that you are using,” said Riccardo Spolaor, an assistant professor at the Shandong University School of Computer Science and Technology, who has been researching these types of threats.

However, Spolaor said that it is not possible to determine whether this method of attack is prevalent.

To help reduce risk, police recommended that users choose their shared power banks carefully by avoiding them if they do not know where the devices come from. These could include power banks given away as free trials or gifts. Users should also pay attention to whether a power bank issues permission requests to access certain parts of a phone once plugged in.