Android is already pretty secure, as Google has added several privacy and security measures to the platform over the past 14 years. However, Google is adding a new feature with Android 15 that will make Android devices safe from juice jacking, and this feature could come to Galaxy devices with One UI 7.0.
One UI 7.0 could get improved Lockdown Mode to prevent juice jacking
Google has added a new option called Lockdown Mode to Android 15. When this mode is activated, it prevents access to data on the phone via the USB cable. So, juice jacking attacks become impossible, even though it is already pretty hard to successfully attempt juice jacking. This improvement was spotted by Android Authority's Mishaal Rahman.
When the Lockdown Mode is activated, access to the phone via a USB cable is instantly cut down. Processing Android Debug Bridge (ADB) commands and keyboard access are disabled to prevent juice jacking. Samsung's phones and tablets already have a Lockdown Mode, but it only prevents the device from being unlocked using biometric methods. You must use a pattern, PIN, or password to unlock the Galaxy device. With One UI 7.0 (based on Android 15), Samsung could introduce an improved Lockdown Mode that prevents juice-jacking attacks.
Samsung has started testing the One UI 7.0 Beta update internally, and the One UI 7.0 Beta Program could be opened in the next quarter. The stable version of One UI 7.0 could be released sometime in Q4 of 2024.
The story continues after the video below.
What is juice jacking, and why should you care?
If you don't already know, juice jacking is a method of hacking in which an attacker secretly extracts data from your phone via a USB cable under the pretext of charging your device. You may think that you are just charging your phone at a public place (like an airport, cafe, or store) using a publicly available charge, but that USB cable could be connected to a device that covertly gets access to your data.
So, it is advised that you carry your own charging brick while traveling to prevent juice-jacking attacks from happening. With Android 15, though, you might not have to worry about such attacks.
