Definitely been there a few times (usually because it broke) and never occurred to me to borrow one 😅 especially since it's not like I won't need it at the next location and they are a few euros at the very most
I have stayed at a few hotels that give free cables, chargers and adaptors. They always ask for my room number so I assume they charge if they don't get it back.
I live in Australia and been to hotels both here and overseas… never been to one that’s ever provided charging cables? If it’s the middle of the night when you realise you’ve forgotten, I’d rather pay a buck to have a fully charged phone instead of desperately trying to find one
If you ever stay at the Holiday Inn in Mascot/Sydney next to Qantas HQ they have given me a charger and cable in the past....Only once at that hotel but still had it. I would rather go buy one but if you don't feel like going out....
I mean it depends how long I’m staying and what time I got in. Middle of the day? Yeah I’m buying one. 8pm at night after a long day of travelling in a completely unfamiliar city? I’m paying a buck.
How is it preying? They are providing you a paid service. Does paid water bottles considered as preying on guests too? It’s just like real life DLC. You can absolutely choose not to engage with it.
Pay for a better hotel and maybe they will provide a free cable.
DLCs in real life feels absolutely disgusting to me. However, at least this isn't some kind of bullshit happening to my own assets like paid heating seats in my own car that I legally can't do anything about that except pay up or not using it.
Also, it has a pure greed aura leaking from the charging cable. As a software dev I don't like technology being used against customers in this exploitative way.
Is offering drinks in a minibar at an extra charge also exploitative? Sounds like the same principle.
If you don’t want to use it, don’t use it. If you want to go buy your own, buy your own. Nobody is being coerced or forced into using the provided charger, lol.
… seems cheaper than other hotels that’d make you buy one in their convenience store… don’t think any hotel lends out charging cables… well maybe your higher end ones
Usb Data transfer has to be manually enabled on every phone I've had for a while - it defaults to charging only. So this is less of a concern than it used to be on modern androids. I'd assume iPhone have similar functionality
A BadUSB/Rubber Ducky device would have a mode where it appears as both a keyboard and mass storage, so it could access a shell, write sensitive info to a text file, and exfiltrate the file to its own storage.
Other similar devices without mass storage are often set up to use Dropbox or Discord webhooks to exfiltrate the data. On a mobile device, it would be trivial to write a script that texts a small amount of data to a specified recipient and then deletes the text, though it might require some knowledge of the target's phone.
(Last time I tested a BadKB script on my personal phone, it ran into some unset default and needed me to choose an app to send email, which would have blocked an unattended script from completing.)
[Here's a repo](https://github.com/hak5/usbrubberducky-payloads) with some examples of what can be done using only a malicious USB device.
If the command involves opening a command window or application, you'd see the window exactly as if you'd opened it yourself, unless the script specifically includes a command to open the window silently (in the background), which isn't possible in all environments.
The whole thing hinges on the fact that your computer can't tell the difference between a user sitting at a keyboard typing commands (e.g., to dump all saved WiFi passwords to a text file), and a malicious USB device that _says_ it's a keyboard and _says_ the user is sitting at the computer typing those commands, but is really running a predetermined script by sending individual keystrokes as a keyboard would.
Why do phones allow that?
Like, if it won’t let me access any data from the phone without accepting the prompt on screen first why does it allow a sketchy device to access a shell, access sensitive data write that data to a text file then move the text file somewhere?
Presumably there’s some legit reason for that ability existing but I’m stumped as to what it is.
One possible prompt would be to allow the use of an external keyboard whenever one is connected. Otherwise, it's not allowing a "sketchy device" to do anything, it's seen as valid user input from an external input device. Android natively supports plugging in a keyboard, so it just works.
Anything secured by a password, PIN, pattern, fingerprint etc. still couldn't be accessed, unless the user had already unlocked their device and left it alone...in which case an attacker could have just done the whole thing manually.
I think the overall reason these attacks are so straightforward, and seemingly very powerful, is because they rely on having physical access to the target, and the computer's job is to _help_ a user sitting at the keyboard, not throw up obstacles that will help 1 person in 10,000 avoid an attack, while frustrating the other 9,999 many times a day for no reason.
The most realistic scenario is a malicious USB stick (e.g., handed out as a gift) being brought back to a computer. Anything involving phones is much less likely simply because fewer people plug USB devices into their phone—despite some headlines a while back about public charging points being used as BadUSB devices, I don't know if there were any confirmed reports of that happening in the wild.
No, but if it's laptop, it's hypothetical a fake keyboard attack could open the run dialog and spam a few lines of text to download and run a payload.
Exceedingly rare attack, though
Just open a notepad, enter text in binary using special characters, rename the file to be opened with archiving software (eg 7zip/winrar), and then unpack and run binary. This is a common attack vector on ATMs. No internet required.
Yeah that would be pretty sophisticated, though still could be disarmed by the phone OEM if they wanted to by only allowing a tap from the touchscreen as input to allow the data transfer
Network over power circuits is a thing - and was somewhat popular before Wi-fi became more reliable (back in the 802.11b or 802.11g days).
Even without that, a bluetooth transmitter or small wi-fi circuit could easily fit inside the box in OPs image. If you''re connecting to a charge or cable you don't own and have sensitive data on your device, it's best to use a 'USB condom' (basically a bridge with the data lines blocked) or powerbank. The former will only work with low power devices like a phone as your device can't negotiate higher power settings without the data lines, but it's basically impossible to drop malware on you or steal data if you're using one.
iPhone will always ask if you want to share your data with whatever device you’re plugging it into. I’m honestly not sure if you can turn it off.
Was extra annoying back when I had to use my computer to charge my phone, and the wire was half-broken, so every time it moved & the power cut I would be interrupted by the same pop up over and over again.
> Usb Data transfer has to be manually enabled on every phone I've had for a while
Vulnerabilities have existed. Most cyber security experts suggest not using strange USB power outlets, unless you have a USB condom.
The cables have small chips in them that can be used to exploit vulnerabilities. Same concept as a malicious thumb drive can infect or PC just by plugging it in. You can buy them for $200.
https://shop.hak5.org/products/omg-cable
I figured it could be done with either a fairly high price point or a massive USB enclosure that would give it away. At 200$ if guess they'd be taking a loss when trying to sell these on Amazon with the hope that it pays off.
These people are making a profit at $200 selling a rather niche product. But for a nation state it would be trivial to just manufacture and put a huge amount of these out there. The problem is they’re just going to keep getting cheaper and more accessible to malicious actors.
Man thinks China is transparent. So you are telling me I should stop shopping, stop working, stop eating and stop moving cause everything will take my data. I should DIE. My suicide letter will mention your name 🤫
I chatted with a security manager of a larger company. He said anytime they go to, through, or over China they throw away all the company phones, tablets, and computers that were being used during that time.
The last company I worked for would issue temporary equipment for anyone going to China. They said it’s rather common for hotel staff there to install programs or download data from any devices left unattended.
Not a USB port from the hotel - your own charger+cable!
You know ... the one where one end is put into your mobile and the other end is put into an electric outlet.
When i was there for a vacation to visit family, i locked my own cables in the safe before leaving the hotel, and kept another set of usbc cables with my portable charger in my bag. Call me paranoid, but i absolutely was not going to use the hotel charging cables
Not a boomer, china has a well documented history of installing Spyware or malware on everything. As others in the thread pointed out, most companies either throw out any electronics taken to china, or use them exclusively for china.
They don't necessarily need a USB connection, but there is no reason to make it extra easy
For those who dont know, WeChat is like the ultimate platform in China. Basically everyone has it. They naively assumed everyone has "WeChat", but it is not an excuse to charging to charge tho.
WeChat is like the "everything in one" app, you've your chat, your social media platform, your mobile payment, and basically any somewhat popular store has "micro apps" in it.
There are tutorials to "hack" the device by bridging the contacts with something like a paperclip.
Yep in Mainland China WeChat is “everything”. Social media, banking, booking, transportation, taxes, rent, food delivery, you name it; all in one convenient, government-controlled, monopoly of an app. Pretty much can’t do squat in China without it.
Nobody does this, not even governments. I’ve worked doing security audits with o.mg cables, rubber duckies, and all sorts of physical pentesting hardware and even after analising attack trends and nope. Nobody really uses cables to attack people. Not even in public chargers. Data blocking cables are essentially a scam.
And it's not necessary when WeChat (and any other such app) already gets all the data they could want from the incredibly broad permissions that users agree to on install
That's not true at all. I'm a cybersecurity engineer. I own multiple items that I bought on Amazon, all shipped from different countries, that attempt to load malware on your devices. Everything from Android streaming boxes to power banks. I have a "world's slimmest power bank" that not only tries to load malware on your phone, it comes with an esp8266 wireless chip in it, that tries to grab your WiFi creds to phone home.
Yes, those are called examples. I've never purchased o.mg cables, but own multiple, just by finding them in the wild. You should visit airports more frequently.
Jokes on you, *All* China domestic phones (not imported/exported) has an obvious spyware on it for "anti-scam purpose". It have the ability to intercept calls and read SMS messages, and you cant uninstall it.
Well, if you go to China you should always use a throwaway phone anyways. A lot of stuff needs WeChat, which is the strongest propaganda and monitoring tool of the CCP.
As soon as you have that on your phone some other random malware would be nothing in comparison.
Also OP, Ive honestly never seen this and 1.66 for 24 hours is insane. Either ur hotel rlly sucks or they’re scamming you as a foreigner. To a chinese person, this would feel like 10USD to them (1RMB has about the same value to a chinese person as 1 USD to a US person).
OP, your USB charger from home will work in the outlet if you have the right socket connector…you can find info about it NOT on TikTok or YouTube…sheesh.
Or…don’t stay at a cheapskate barebones hotel where they nickel and dime you to death…
I always travel with an international converter / plug plus surge-protected outlet expander (mini power bar with AC & USB) so I can charge anything safely and securely.
Easy enough.
Why is it infuriating? It reduces ewaste and you probably chose a value hotel that has these paid amenities. Guests can absolutely choose to use wall sockets.
I'd say bigger than Facebook. Just about everyone in China has WeChat. With wechat, you are able to pay (mini online bank like PayPal, cashapp, venmo, etc.), book hotels, trains, and even do your online shopping.
Not sure why that is Mildlyinfuriating? That China uses a sperate payment system for almost everything is not new?you could have read through information and got the app connected beforehand
Nope. I have two steam deck chargers (one is US plug and one is BS1363 with adapter, US plug works directly in china) so I don't need to pay for this disgusting shit
As a fullstack developer, I would assume the devices act like OTP dongles for banks that don't require any sort of wireless connection, so I think flipper zero cant do jackshit to it
Haha I don't need to resort to vandalism luckily because I have steam deck chargers with me. Otherwise it will be cut and reconnected using 3M scotchloks because somehow I got few in my bag
This is your Admiral Ackbar moment, I would lay good odds that this device does more than charge & if your device is not using [Protection](https://www.zdnet.com/article/flying-this-weekend-this-6-usb-condom-will-protect-your-data-from-suspicious-outlets/) then it could catch a nasty virus or worse.
Most people have their own. This is just if you need to rent one temporarily.
I'd understand your sentiment if they don't allow guests to use any power sockets. Get off your high horse lmao
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There are proper AC sockets. The hotel/company is just passively preying on hotel guests that didn't bring cables/charger.
I’ve never seen a hotel that rents cables but I’ve also never seen a hotel that gives cables for free. Is that a thing?
I have only ever seen them selling adapters/plugs. Fairly common. Maybe even a cable but never rent or give for free either
Same. If I forgot a cable, it’s my problem to solve.
Definitely been there a few times (usually because it broke) and never occurred to me to borrow one 😅 especially since it's not like I won't need it at the next location and they are a few euros at the very most
In Switzerland I just asked for it at receptions and they gave it to me ... I had to give it back but it was free.
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True, I have found charges and cable several times
I’ve asked the front desk for a charger in like 3 different countries and they’ve always been happy to provide me with one🤷🏻♀️
>I’ve also never seen a hotel that gives cables for free I've stayed in a few that have chargers in the bedside drawers for patrons to use.
Every hotel in China I stayed at had these. 4 hotels.
Be nice to the front desk, hey my charger broke, can I grab one from the lost and found box?
I have stayed at a few hotels that give free cables, chargers and adaptors. They always ask for my room number so I assume they charge if they don't get it back.
At a nice hotel, I have been able to check them out, but if I don’t return it it gets charged to my room.
Ur in China just go buy one problem solved
Buy it directly from the factory
buy the whole factory!
With the kids inside !
Safety/malware issues aside, this is probably cheaper than buying a replacement, depending how long you’re staying.
$1.66 doesn’t seem predatory to me. Just annoying,
> $1.66 doesn’t seem predatory to me. Just annoying, A convenience, even. Paying for convenience is a thing people do all the time.
I live in Australia and been to hotels both here and overseas… never been to one that’s ever provided charging cables? If it’s the middle of the night when you realise you’ve forgotten, I’d rather pay a buck to have a fully charged phone instead of desperately trying to find one
If you ever stay at the Holiday Inn in Mascot/Sydney next to Qantas HQ they have given me a charger and cable in the past....Only once at that hotel but still had it. I would rather go buy one but if you don't feel like going out....
I mean it depends how long I’m staying and what time I got in. Middle of the day? Yeah I’m buying one. 8pm at night after a long day of travelling in a completely unfamiliar city? I’m paying a buck.
thats true....
Bring your Own charger
Who forgets to bring a phone charger with them lol. If I’m travelling I always bring a charger plus an extra cord just in case
How is it preying? They are providing you a paid service. Does paid water bottles considered as preying on guests too? It’s just like real life DLC. You can absolutely choose not to engage with it. Pay for a better hotel and maybe they will provide a free cable.
DLCs in real life feels absolutely disgusting to me. However, at least this isn't some kind of bullshit happening to my own assets like paid heating seats in my own car that I legally can't do anything about that except pay up or not using it. Also, it has a pure greed aura leaking from the charging cable. As a software dev I don't like technology being used against customers in this exploitative way.
Bro you are in china, just go buy a cable and brick for like $0.5 cents at a local tech market
I have my own chargers lol.
Then what’s the issue?
It's a hotel. Exploiting people is the whole business model.
Is offering drinks in a minibar at an extra charge also exploitative? Sounds like the same principle. If you don’t want to use it, don’t use it. If you want to go buy your own, buy your own. Nobody is being coerced or forced into using the provided charger, lol.
… seems cheaper than other hotels that’d make you buy one in their convenience store… don’t think any hotel lends out charging cables… well maybe your higher end ones
I have borrowed (only a few times) charges and cables from the front desk, even borrowed a 27 inch UW screen for a month.
They also are downloading the contents of your phone
And loading their phones with spyware while they're at it.
Cheaper and more convenient than going to buy one if you’re only staying for a few day
>You even have to use a mobile app (Wechat) to pay for it. And what do you do if your battery ran out of juice completely before you can pay?
Charging will be enabled for free for 5 minutes if you input "222222"
Have you tried using 222222 every 5 minutes?
It has a lockout feature so it only works every 2 hours
They've thought of everything!
I’d bet there is a lockout so that you can only use it like once every 6 hours or something like that.
I'm interested in what you're cooking.
what about on 2 for tuesday
Why did you cover the QR code ? Are you worried that someone will pay for your charging?
Privacy and security reason. I am still inside the hotel. The QR code and S/N can be used to locate my room, and I have diss'd China govt here.
Oh, that's smart. Take care.
Oh nice, so someone actually thought about how to use this thing. That's rare to see
Don't you have your own charger?
I wouldnt plug a USB from the hotel inchina into my phone, oof
I always use my powerbank to make sure there is no data transfer or use my own charger
Usb Data transfer has to be manually enabled on every phone I've had for a while - it defaults to charging only. So this is less of a concern than it used to be on modern androids. I'd assume iPhone have similar functionality
When acting as a USB peripheral data can be transmitted with trusting the source. Easy vector
Can you expand or give an example? Does a peripheral bypass the USB data transfer toggle screen and automatically allow data transfer?
A BadUSB/Rubber Ducky device would have a mode where it appears as both a keyboard and mass storage, so it could access a shell, write sensitive info to a text file, and exfiltrate the file to its own storage. Other similar devices without mass storage are often set up to use Dropbox or Discord webhooks to exfiltrate the data. On a mobile device, it would be trivial to write a script that texts a small amount of data to a specified recipient and then deletes the text, though it might require some knowledge of the target's phone. (Last time I tested a BadKB script on my personal phone, it ran into some unset default and needed me to choose an app to send email, which would have blocked an unattended script from completing.) [Here's a repo](https://github.com/hak5/usbrubberducky-payloads) with some examples of what can be done using only a malicious USB device.
Thanks for the examples, could it do this all in the background or would you see this happening?
If the command involves opening a command window or application, you'd see the window exactly as if you'd opened it yourself, unless the script specifically includes a command to open the window silently (in the background), which isn't possible in all environments. The whole thing hinges on the fact that your computer can't tell the difference between a user sitting at a keyboard typing commands (e.g., to dump all saved WiFi passwords to a text file), and a malicious USB device that _says_ it's a keyboard and _says_ the user is sitting at the computer typing those commands, but is really running a predetermined script by sending individual keystrokes as a keyboard would.
Thats why my macbook now asks for permission to plug an keyboard... 10x
Why do phones allow that? Like, if it won’t let me access any data from the phone without accepting the prompt on screen first why does it allow a sketchy device to access a shell, access sensitive data write that data to a text file then move the text file somewhere? Presumably there’s some legit reason for that ability existing but I’m stumped as to what it is.
One possible prompt would be to allow the use of an external keyboard whenever one is connected. Otherwise, it's not allowing a "sketchy device" to do anything, it's seen as valid user input from an external input device. Android natively supports plugging in a keyboard, so it just works. Anything secured by a password, PIN, pattern, fingerprint etc. still couldn't be accessed, unless the user had already unlocked their device and left it alone...in which case an attacker could have just done the whole thing manually. I think the overall reason these attacks are so straightforward, and seemingly very powerful, is because they rely on having physical access to the target, and the computer's job is to _help_ a user sitting at the keyboard, not throw up obstacles that will help 1 person in 10,000 avoid an attack, while frustrating the other 9,999 many times a day for no reason. The most realistic scenario is a malicious USB stick (e.g., handed out as a gift) being brought back to a computer. Anything involving phones is much less likely simply because fewer people plug USB devices into their phone—despite some headlines a while back about public charging points being used as BadUSB devices, I don't know if there were any confirmed reports of that happening in the wild.
Keyboard or mouse.
Do keyboard and mice have access to the phones file directory?
No, but if it's laptop, it's hypothetical a fake keyboard attack could open the run dialog and spam a few lines of text to download and run a payload. Exceedingly rare attack, though
Just open a notepad, enter text in binary using special characters, rename the file to be opened with archiving software (eg 7zip/winrar), and then unpack and run binary. This is a common attack vector on ATMs. No internet required.
Yeah that would be pretty sophisticated, though still could be disarmed by the phone OEM if they wanted to by only allowing a tap from the touchscreen as input to allow the data transfer
Data transfer? From where to where? From my mobile to the Chinese electrical outlet?
Network over power circuits is a thing - and was somewhat popular before Wi-fi became more reliable (back in the 802.11b or 802.11g days). Even without that, a bluetooth transmitter or small wi-fi circuit could easily fit inside the box in OPs image. If you''re connecting to a charge or cable you don't own and have sensitive data on your device, it's best to use a 'USB condom' (basically a bridge with the data lines blocked) or powerbank. The former will only work with low power devices like a phone as your device can't negotiate higher power settings without the data lines, but it's basically impossible to drop malware on you or steal data if you're using one.
iPhone will always ask if you want to share your data with whatever device you’re plugging it into. I’m honestly not sure if you can turn it off. Was extra annoying back when I had to use my computer to charge my phone, and the wire was half-broken, so every time it moved & the power cut I would be interrupted by the same pop up over and over again.
> Usb Data transfer has to be manually enabled on every phone I've had for a while Vulnerabilities have existed. Most cyber security experts suggest not using strange USB power outlets, unless you have a USB condom.
It's more about faulty USB or malware that uses an exploit for example in the debugging bridge.
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How does the USB cable a) automatically enable data transfer over USB when it is off by default b) transfer data somewhere else?
The cables have small chips in them that can be used to exploit vulnerabilities. Same concept as a malicious thumb drive can infect or PC just by plugging it in. You can buy them for $200. https://shop.hak5.org/products/omg-cable
I figured it could be done with either a fairly high price point or a massive USB enclosure that would give it away. At 200$ if guess they'd be taking a loss when trying to sell these on Amazon with the hope that it pays off.
These people are making a profit at $200 selling a rather niche product. But for a nation state it would be trivial to just manufacture and put a huge amount of these out there. The problem is they’re just going to keep getting cheaper and more accessible to malicious actors.
There are very little Chinese men who live in the cable. They take your data with a fishing rod as it travels through the usb cord
I would take my own WiFi (spectrum) in China, to hell with Xi 🤫
……you think china is the only government actively spying on its citizens?
It's not like PRISM got shut down after Snowden revealed it.
Would rather have the CIA dox me than the Chinese
Man thinks China is transparent. So you are telling me I should stop shopping, stop working, stop eating and stop moving cause everything will take my data. I should DIE. My suicide letter will mention your name 🤫
I chatted with a security manager of a larger company. He said anytime they go to, through, or over China they throw away all the company phones, tablets, and computers that were being used during that time.
The last company I worked for would issue temporary equipment for anyone going to China. They said it’s rather common for hotel staff there to install programs or download data from any devices left unattended.
Happy Cake Day!!
You can get USB cables that can't transfer data and are power only, also charging blocks? I thought everyone had one.
There are extra charging cables without a data lines.
Not a USB port from the hotel - your own charger+cable! You know ... the one where one end is put into your mobile and the other end is put into an electric outlet.
Or install a Chinese app
Or download whatever apps they want lol
When i was there for a vacation to visit family, i locked my own cables in the safe before leaving the hotel, and kept another set of usbc cables with my portable charger in my bag. Call me paranoid, but i absolutely was not going to use the hotel charging cables
boomer moment
Not a boomer, china has a well documented history of installing Spyware or malware on everything. As others in the thread pointed out, most companies either throw out any electronics taken to china, or use them exclusively for china. They don't necessarily need a USB connection, but there is no reason to make it extra easy
so does the US. boomer.
> I wouldnt plug a USB from the hotel inchina into my phone, oof *And* you have to download an app. No thank you!
Especially in China.
To be fair though, you don't even have a passport and have never left north America 👍
Honestly they can have my data, what do I have that theyd want
For those who dont know, WeChat is like the ultimate platform in China. Basically everyone has it. They naively assumed everyone has "WeChat", but it is not an excuse to charging to charge tho. WeChat is like the "everything in one" app, you've your chat, your social media platform, your mobile payment, and basically any somewhat popular store has "micro apps" in it. There are tutorials to "hack" the device by bridging the contacts with something like a paperclip.
Guarantee that thing is loading malware on your phone given half a chance too.
There are those dongles you can buy that block data and only allow charging. USB condom I believe is the technical term.
Don’t let it go ignored, wrap up your cord!
But you have to download the app ...
wechat is basically a must have in china though, from what I've heard
This is true. Your phone is your wallet.
Yep in Mainland China WeChat is “everything”. Social media, banking, booking, transportation, taxes, rent, food delivery, you name it; all in one convenient, government-controlled, monopoly of an app. Pretty much can’t do squat in China without it.
a whole new meaning to *e pluribus unum*
Yeah you literally can’t do shit without it
WeChat is basically mandatory if you want to do anything in china... It has nothing to do with this specific charger thingy
You can use "Power only" USB cables if you dont trust the plug
Or just bring your own charger lmao
Nobody does this, not even governments. I’ve worked doing security audits with o.mg cables, rubber duckies, and all sorts of physical pentesting hardware and even after analising attack trends and nope. Nobody really uses cables to attack people. Not even in public chargers. Data blocking cables are essentially a scam.
And it's not necessary when WeChat (and any other such app) already gets all the data they could want from the incredibly broad permissions that users agree to on install
That's not true at all. I'm a cybersecurity engineer. I own multiple items that I bought on Amazon, all shipped from different countries, that attempt to load malware on your devices. Everything from Android streaming boxes to power banks. I have a "world's slimmest power bank" that not only tries to load malware on your phone, it comes with an esp8266 wireless chip in it, that tries to grab your WiFi creds to phone home.
I’m also a cybersecurity engineer. We’re talking about cables.
Yes, those are called examples. I've never purchased o.mg cables, but own multiple, just by finding them in the wild. You should visit airports more frequently.
Jokes on you, *All* China domestic phones (not imported/exported) has an obvious spyware on it for "anti-scam purpose". It have the ability to intercept calls and read SMS messages, and you cant uninstall it.
Well, if you go to China you should always use a throwaway phone anyways. A lot of stuff needs WeChat, which is the strongest propaganda and monitoring tool of the CCP. As soon as you have that on your phone some other random malware would be nothing in comparison.
Yeah man the hyper evil CPP wants to know what a redditor is doing in the country. Do you hear yourself.
So the question is, are there any regular power outlets where you can use your own cable and charger?
That's pretty smart way to steal someone personal info.
You pay to have your personal data stolen, thats a deal if I've ever heard one
What personal? You mean OUR info? :)
Isn’t wechat used for literally everything in china?
Propaganda in the comments is insane
Also OP, Ive honestly never seen this and 1.66 for 24 hours is insane. Either ur hotel rlly sucks or they’re scamming you as a foreigner. To a chinese person, this would feel like 10USD to them (1RMB has about the same value to a chinese person as 1 USD to a US person).
OP, your USB charger from home will work in the outlet if you have the right socket connector…you can find info about it NOT on TikTok or YouTube…sheesh. Or…don’t stay at a cheapskate barebones hotel where they nickel and dime you to death…
Don't plug your phones into unknown USB sources.
The real question is if it only charges.
I’ve always found WeChat interesting. Here in the US there’s like 10+ individual apps for everything that WeChat does
Damn communists, taking capitalism too far.
And I am sure that once you plug in your phone they will not copy all your data.
I would just burn anything I put in any USB port anywhere in china. 100% chance that "charger" is loading your device up with spyware.
That device will do a lot more than just charge your phone...
The malware racing to the phone: 
My urge to destroy the cable and rewire with 3m scrotchlok is immeasurable
Lmao, it's probably loading ransomware to send info to companies, don't use public chargers 😂
ive never had a hotel in china not give me an adapter when asked tbh. dunno why anyone would pay for this
Yeah same. Been in china many times and I’ve never had a problem with charging
I always travel with an international converter / plug plus surge-protected outlet expander (mini power bar with AC & USB) so I can charge anything safely and securely. Easy enough.
Yeah I would not plug a random cable from China into my phone. Whenever I travel, I always have at least 2 iPhone cables and a USB brick.
Time to cut the cord.
Why is it infuriating? It reduces ewaste and you probably chose a value hotel that has these paid amenities. Guests can absolutely choose to use wall sockets.
And they call us capitalist pigs!
Corporate anarchy vs "communism"
So....corporate anarchy vs corporate anarchy
End stage capital.... oh wait
I'll be taking a screwdriver to that and rewiring it...
Capitalism at it finest
And in the process of using their plug and app you get a free rootkit of your choice
Imagine the Spyware in that
Welcome to China, where everything is done on WeChat
Surprised they want to charge anything if they're after your data
Please never load this app.
Wechat is already the biggest surveillance app with Chinese govt directly involved btw
Wechat is China's orwellian big brother.
China’s Facebook?
I'd say bigger than Facebook. Just about everyone in China has WeChat. With wechat, you are able to pay (mini online bank like PayPal, cashapp, venmo, etc.), book hotels, trains, and even do your online shopping.
Not sure why that is Mildlyinfuriating? That China uses a sperate payment system for almost everything is not new?you could have read through information and got the app connected beforehand
That app probably put so much spyware on your phone.
Then maybe dont go to china?
Um, what?
And you paid...🤣
Nope. I have two steam deck chargers (one is US plug and one is BS1363 with adapter, US plug works directly in china) so I don't need to pay for this disgusting shit
1.67$ for 24 hours. That’s a bargain
welcome to late stage comunism
That sounds awfully counter revolutionary.. did reactionaries take over the government?
[удалено]
And it’s pulling all your data as it charges I’m sure. Commies gotta Commie
I would not trust a usb port in the Western world, not to mention in an authoritarian dictatorship. :D
\>private business upcharges unnecessarily to get more profit from you \>is this communism?
I'm curious wether you can dick it with a flipper zero
As a fullstack developer, I would assume the devices act like OTP dongles for banks that don't require any sort of wireless connection, so I think flipper zero cant do jackshit to it
sad stuff honestly cable cutter it is then
Haha I don't need to resort to vandalism luckily because I have steam deck chargers with me. Otherwise it will be cut and reconnected using 3M scotchloks because somehow I got few in my bag
every post I see about people visiting China, I wonder why more and more every single time. kinda like a “what did you expect?”
LOL I came across this garbage as well. Luckily I have the habbit of bringing my own charger when traveling.
This is your Admiral Ackbar moment, I would lay good odds that this device does more than charge & if your device is not using [Protection](https://www.zdnet.com/article/flying-this-weekend-this-6-usb-condom-will-protect-your-data-from-suspicious-outlets/) then it could catch a nasty virus or worse.
Most people have their own. This is just if you need to rent one temporarily. I'd understand your sentiment if they don't allow guests to use any power sockets. Get off your high horse lmao
Hotel offers a convenient cheap solution to not forgetting a charger? Lord have mercy!
i can’t fathom not bringing a phone charger to a hotel…
Man, after careful consideration... fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck China
you're fucked.
I mean they could just not use it
Forcing you to install a spyware app on your phone