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USB cable yes infected with virus not?

Anonymous
2017-04-13T11:44:12+00:00

My phone is infected with from times  virus from copying data from a  friend's computer through via the connector port USB cable. 

I have scanned the virus and reinstalled the operating system for phone

I want to ask??

USB cable  (usually go general with the phone charger)  yes infected with the virus not?

If yes I would like to buy a new charger instead to replace

Windows for home | Other | Security and privacy

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  1. Rob Koch 25,875 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-04-13T19:17:48+00:00

    No.  A cable can't store anything so it can't become infected, only something containing memory can.

    A phone contains memory just like a USB flash drive or other USB device, so they can store files and thus also files that might contain a virus.

    Rob

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  1. Rob Koch 25,875 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-04-13T17:27:35+00:00

    The following article is intended for IT professionals, but it's relatively understandable and describes how smartphones can get viruses when attached to a PC as a USB drive.

    Can smartphones get viruses and spread them to the network?

    Since a smartphone will typically be automatically mounted as a USB drive by the PC when attached via the power cable, you need to avoid making this type of connection the default via the PC Autorun ability and instead only perform this action manually at your request.

    Since the smartphone doesn't have any protection for Windows type malware, it will simply accept whatever gets transferred from the PC and carry it to any other PC to which it is attached, just like any USB flash device might.

    So your problem isn't the cable or even your phone, it's your friend's PC that contains the virus.

    Rob

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-04-14T03:21:44+00:00

    No.  A cable can't store anything so it can't become infected, only something containing memory can.

    A phone contains memory just like a USB flash drive or other USB device, so they can store files and thus also files that might contain a virus.

    Rob

    Thank you

    I want to ask the memory card in the USB is memory card the empty no yes data when plugged into the computer containing the virus, memory card empty yes infected with the virus not?

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  2. Reza-Ameri 45,806 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-04-13T17:22:57+00:00

    What version of Windows are you using?

    What phone are you using?

    If you are using Android, you will need to install one trusted Anti-Virus, you may refer to Google Play for this.

    Windows Mobile usually won't get infected, but if you have this issue with Windows Mobile, let us know.

    You don't need to reinstall your Windows due to infection, but you may remove malware using updated anti-malware software.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-04-13T16:21:00+00:00

    It would have to be a pretty ingenious to alter a USB cable to infect people's systems. Very unlikely.

    More likely is your phone is already infected when connected to a computer. You should be scanning your phone or at a minimum do a factory refresh.

    Then going forward, don't connect to your friend's computer and see if you get re-infected.

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