Everyday items can turn against you

via blogs.zdnet.com

The United States Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) has warned that the software included in the Energizer DUO USB battery charger contains a backdoor that allows unauthorized remote system access on port 7777/tcp. Symantec also has posted a detailed write-up about the Trojan.

Its really interesting that the device was compromised during the manufacture itself. This means, either:

1. The product software team used the backdoor for testing and did not think to remove it from the shipping product.
2. The product manufacturing plant modified the software, presumably for testing, and then did not remove it before burning the CD.
3. There was an intentional effort to make this device a payload for malware, to be used for other purposes.

All it takes is an employee in one of the teams making a simple “mistake” Perhaps certain agencies were inspired by speculations, hoaxes, and urban myths around how the US took down Saddam’s air defense system with a backdoor through some name-brand printers.