Industrial CT scanner manufacturer Lumafield imaged an O.MG pen testing USB-C cable, revealing sophisticated electronic components secreted within the connector. Lumafield product lead Jon Bruner shared on X (formerly Twitter) a CT scan that revealed the interior of the O.MG cable, showing advanced electronics and an antenna — a much more complicated design versus the Amazon Basic USB-C cable that Lumafield scanned for comparison. Security researcher Mike Grover created this pen testing (penetration testing) cable for fellow security researchers and hobbyists, red teamers, and for awareness training, especially for highly vulnerable or targeted individuals.
Aside from the microcontroller and antenna, Lumafield’s in-depth 3D CT scan revealed a second set of wires connecting a secondary die hidden under the primary microcontroller. This detail is difficult to spot in the scan, requiring some visualization parameter adjustments and a keen eye. When the cable was passed through an ordinary 2D X-ray, this secondary die was practically invisible, allowing it to easily pass cursory inspection. That means devices like this could conceivably pass through standard detection mechanisms.
